Solitude
by xRedxMoonx
Summary: Always pursued by the tragic event that marked her childhood, she's finally ready to move on. However, her past keeps following her, this time in the form of a boy with red hair. Now not only will she need to deal with him, but an organization starts to show interest on her as well. As the secrets unfold; will she be able to confront them, or wil she lose herself into darkness?
1. I: Lonely eyes

**A/N** : Same story, new beginning. I decided to write this one again, starting in the past of the OC this time and going on from there. I really hope you enjoy this, and please let me know what you think! I'm also writing a story for Levi from Attack on Titan and it'd be great if you checked it out.

 **Disclaimer** : I'm only saying this once; I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

Warning: This story contains tragedy, strong language and lots of blood.

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 **CHAPTER ONE:**

Lonely eyes

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 _"Pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to fight for."_

* * *

The sandy streets of Suna were empty, as usual, as the last rays of the sun hid on the horizon. The soft, warm breeze of the desert in which the village stood blew in between the curious-looking houses -all of them made by adobe.

"Mom, there's a boy sitting on the swing!"

A young family was walking by the park, heading home after a peaceful walk through Suna.

"Rei, do not look at him," the woman scolded her daughter, glancing ever so slightly at the redhead that, indeed, was swinging quietly in front of them.

Rei pouted, and crossed her tiny arms as she stared almost defiantly at her mother.

"Why not? He looks so lonely," she mumbled, and her big, orange orbs darted towards the boy again before they focused on the not-so-happy woman before her.

"He'd better be!"

And that seemed to be a final sentence, because the woman took Rei's hand and forcefully started to pull her away from the park. But Rei wasn't done; she didn't understand why her mother was suddenly acting so cold just by the mention of that sad-looking boy.

She managed to get her wrist out of her tight hold, and puffed angrily.

"Why, mom? He's just a boy!"

"He's not; he's a monster!" The sharp tone in her voice caused Rei to step back, a confused and frightened expression glowing in her eyes.

Just by one look at both mother and daughter, everyone could tell their physical differences. They were nothing alike. While Akane was a round-faced woman, with long blond hair and bright blue eyes; Rei was the opposite. The girl had taken after her father's defined features, and had short brown hair. However, it was her eyes what seemed to catch everyone's interest, for it was an unusual color to see.

"There, there," her father placed a gentle hand on his wife's shoulder, before he bent down to smile sweetly at Rei. "You don't understand now because you're too young, Rei, but you have to promise me that you won't go near him."

His sweet tone calmed Rei, but didn't stop her from keeping wondering what was so special about that red-haired kid.

Gaara watched silently the argument, not daring to move a finger. He, as well as Rei, was clueless as to why no one ever approached him. And he could only let his aquamarine eyes follow the family as they walked away, the same hurt expression that accompanied him everywhere plastered on his face.

But she turned around. Just for a moment, the girl glanced back at him, a small smile tugging on her lips. Rei's smile widened considerably when Gaara replied her with one of his own, a cute expression that suited him.

"Rei!"

She was scolded again.

-#-

It wasn't until after some days that Rei saw him again. She was playing outside with her friends, when Gaara came into her sight. He had the same lonely aura surrounding him, and she wondered why he didn't try to approach the kids around his age instead of sitting alone on the swing.

"Rei-chan, they scored again!"

Rei was snapped out of her thoughts, and quickly looked at one of her friends, Maki. The raven-haired girl was pointing accusingly at her, a glare formed in her dark eyes.

"I'm sorry, Maki-chan, it won't happen again," she sheepishly grinned.

"Are you sure you want to keep playing, Rei? I don't want you to cry when your team loses!" Kankuro smirked, before he yelped out of surprise when his sister punched him on the head.

"We won't lose, you idiot."

The game went on like nothing had happened… before Kankuro scored again. He sent the ball far from Rei's view, and the brunette could only apologize again as she ran after it. But she stopped dead in her tracks when the ball landed at someone's feet. Gaara bent down and picked it up.

A grateful smile crept to her lips, and Rei approached the intriguing boy, ready to take the ball from his hands.

"Thank you," she paused, waiting for him to introduce himself.

Gaara was definitely surprised, but shyly looked down at his feet.

"Gaara."

"Thank you, Gaara," she smiled happily before running back to her friends, only to stop on the way. "I'm Rei, by the way!"

Gaara didn't need her to say her name; he already knew who she was. He had watched her from afar from the moment she had defended him from her family. The redhead didn't know why, but she had caught his interest because of that. And every time she crossed paths with him, his eyes would follow her, almost as though waiting for her to turn around again.

Why did that girl act as though she didn't care about the rumors about him? Hadn't she heard from her friends that he was dangerous?

Of course Rei had, but something about that little boy tugged her towards him.

Nevertheless, something happened. A loud sound was heard, before an animalistic growl reached her ears. Rei was at home by the time her parents ran out, heading towards the danger.

"Don't go out, Rei," her mother firmly said. "No matter what you hear, do not step out of this building, do you understand?"

Rei didn't understand; how could she? All she was aware of was that she was going to be left behind, with a dangerous thing growling outside.

"Rei, there's something for you waiting in my room," her father told her, a forced smile on his face as he watched Rei's expression change into a curious one. "Why don't you go up and look for it, can you do that?"

Rei puffed her cheeks, looking self-sufficient.

"Of course I can!"

That had been the last time Rei had seen her parents.

-#-

The next day, she was visited by Maki's mother. The raven-haired woman approached her slouching form with hesitant steps.

"You are to come with us, Rei-chan," he stated, a sad expression decorating his face.

The girl lifted her head slowly to meet the woman's grey eyes. Rei wasn't a fool, even though she was no older than six. She knew her parents weren't coming back, and the Hashiri were the closest people she had now.

"C'mon, Rei-chan, we're leaving this evening," Nozomi Hashiri urged, smiling encouragingly at her.

"Where are we going?" Rei quietly asked, as she slowly pushed herself up.

Nozomi placed a hand on her back before the two of them walked out of the house that – Rei knew – would be her only home.

"Konoha."

 _-Two years later-_

Black eyes darted to the right, then to the left, only to lock on the blackboard before them once again. A frown formed on Maki's tanned features. There was no sight of her brunette friend, as usual. Ever since Rei had moved with her family to Konoha, she had not been the same. It worried eight-year-old Maki to no end; she missed the old Rei, the one who woke up with a smile on her face, and wouldn't stop laughing at the easiest joke –always made up by Kankuro.

But old, happy Rei seemed to be long gone. Only the remembrance of it remained in Maki's mind, hoping to be brought back again. However, no matter how hard Maki –or her mother– had tried, they couldn't even catch a glimpse of even a small change in Rei's now typical stoical expression.

Maki let out a heavy sigh, and leaned on the desk she shared with one of her classmates, Kiba Inuzuka. Iruka Umino was already explained that day's lesson about taijutsu, and she was supposed to be taking notes. But, for some reason, her mind wouldn't focus.

Her dark gaze drifted towards the closed door again. Rei was late again. In fact, Maki didn't know if she was going to show up. The girl huffed. Rei kept skipping classes, but always managed to pass the tests without really trying. Nevertheless, she wasn't the smartest one in the class; as long as Sakura Haruno went to the same class as they, the pinkette would take that place.

Not that it mattered to Rei, anyway.

Suddenly, the door slid open. The sound echoed throughout the room, and was enough to make Iruka stop and turn around. A noticeable disappointed look crossed his face, before he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Rei, you're late!"

The brunette didn't even acknowledge his presence, and simply headed her desk. Iruka was fuming. He almost preferred to scold Naruto Uzumaki than to yell at Rei; the blond didn't ignore him at least. But he talked back, the little shit.

Iruka decided to give up for now; he would talk to Rei when the class finished.

Meanwhile, Rei had taken her seat next to the window, ignoring Maki in the process. She placed a hand under her chin as her brown eyes fixed outside. She had a distant look plastered on her face, as though her mind were somewhere else. There was a glint in her gaze, however. Maki could see it from behind her: that expression of despair reflected on the glass.

Rei was thinking of her parents; that much Maki knew. The two girls had spent most of their childhood together, and even though distance had managed to break between them, Maki still knew her like a sister.

"Hey, Rei!" Kiba called out,

The said girl blinked twice, snapping out of her thoughts, before she glanced at the grinning boy. It took her a moment to realize school was over, and almost everyone had already left. Only some of them remained, Maki being one of them. The tanned girl gave her a look before walking out, headed home.

"I'll race you out!" Kiba shouted.

"No running in the building!" Iruka immediately demanded, only to be ignored as Kiba was already running.

Rei watched the boy as he left the room, not even trying to follow. The boy always raced her, but he always ended up running by himself. Rei was never in the mood of running, not even walking. All she wanted to do was lie down, and hope for the pain to go away. After all, she hadn't gotten over her parents' death. She doubted she'd ever be.

"Rei, come over here," Iruka said just when she was about to leave the classroom.

Her feet stopped dead in their tracks, only to drag her to the front of the room, where her sensei awaited her. He had his hands placed on his hips, and a unhappy expression on his face as he looked down at her.

"I won't tolerate your insubordination anymore. You can't just come when you feel like it, Rei!" He scolded. "Why must you keep acting like this? You are still young, all you have to do is come to the Academy and learn as much as you can. You don't want to throw you future away just because of this, do you? Why don't you try to make some friends; friendship is very important at your age. They can help you."

Rei titled her head, a confused look shining in her eyes.

"Help?" She looked down at her feet then, and muttered, "I don't need friends."

To say that Iruka was in shock would be an understatement. He was at a loss of words, and as he stared at the girl in front of him, his mind wandered to the blond boy that always managed to get on his nerves. Somehow, the two kids gave off the same aura of solitude. Naruto was probably planning some pranks to pull on him or the rest of Konoha's population at that exact moment. The simple thought was enough to give Iruka a headache.

The mand sighed tiredly, and drifted his attention back to the girl. He could perfectly understand Rei's temper; they both had a common event in their lives, a painfully memory that would remain in their minds for the rest of their lives.

"I lost my parents too."

The unexpected fact caused Rei to look immediately up, surprise written all over her face. For the first time ever, Iruka could see a genuine expression in the girl's face; something that suited her more than the 'I don't give a fuck' expression.

"I thought I'd never get over that… and I almost gave up on happiness," he confessed.

"But you didn't, why?" Rei looked almost desperate, staring at him with sad and lonely eyes.

His lips turned upwards, forming a small smile.

"My friends didn't let me." He paused then, only to add, "That's why you need friends, to stop you from giving up on life."

Rei was silent for some seconds. Her gaze had dropped to the ground once again, and her hands were tightly clasped in front of her. Finally, she lifted her head up to and nodded.

"Okay."

Iruka could only watch as the young girl abandoned the classroom, heading outside. He hoped his speech had been enough to lighten her small ray of hope.

-#-

Footsteps echoed throughout the hallway as the brown-haired girl worked her way towards the exit. Her mind was filled with thoughts of her previous conversation with her sensei; she didn't know how to move on. She missed her old life; her friends in Suna, and her family. She practically begged the Hokages every day to bring that life back, a hopeless prayer she knew wouldn't become true. Sometimes, she wondered about the people she had left behind… at home.

She wondered if Temari still punched his brother every time he made fun of her.

She wondered if Kankuro still complained about the village being so hot.

She wondered if they still went to the park to play with that ball…

And Gaara; he visited her every night before sleep took over her body.

She wondered if he still had that cute teddy bear of his; she hoped he did. Because it seemed to be the only thing that didn't mind to be nears him. Rei wondered if the redhead was still glared at everywhere he went, if people still looked at him as if he were some kind of pest. Rei missed him too, even though they didn't really share too many moments. Somehow, she knew Gaara would have been a precious friend... being as sweet as she remembered him to be.

Rei had been so lost in thought that she hadn't realized she was already out. Blinking, she glanced around. But, as usual, there was no one else in sight. Nozomi used to take them –Maki and her, that is– home the first days they attended the Academy. But the woman stopped waiting for her when she started to skip class. Nozomi didn't know whether she was at the Academy or not, and she couldn't afford to be there all day.

The thought saddened her. It was her own fault; Rei knew it. But it still hurt her to know that no one was waiting for you to get home. With her gaze glued on the dirty ground, she started her way back home.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of something yellow from the corner of her eye. Frowning slightly, Rei looked over only to see a boy her age. The familiar sight brought back memories.

Swinging slowly on the swing under the tree, alone. Not only alone, but with an aura of loneliness surrounding him.

If it weren't for the color of his hair, she would have thought him to be Gaara. But he wasn't. Slowly, she approached him, not really knowing what she was doing. She was curious as to why there was someone still there. Maybe his parents were late?

The boy seemed to be lost in thoughts. However, as if he were suddenly aware of her presence, his head snapped towards her. Surprise shone in his eyes before he sent her a glare.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded to know. "Are you here to insult me? Throw rocks at me maybe? Well, go ahead; I don't care anymore!"

Rei stood there, speechless. He may not had the same quiet attitude as Gaara, but their similitude was obvious. The look in his eyes, even though he was glaring at her, was way too familiar to her. He could almost see those aquamarine eyes staring straight at her, silently pleading her to approach him, to not run away like everyone else seemed to do. Despair... and hope. Rei didn't know, but her gaze held those same feelings.

"Why would I do that?" The words escaped her mouth in a whisper, and she was shocked he heard her.

"I don't know! But that's what everyone else does," his voice broke at that point, and he stopped glaring at her in order to lower his blue gaze. "So why wouldn't you?"

Her heart ached. She was young, and there were many things she couldn't understand. However, she doubted she would ever understand the reason as to why people seemed to enjoy being mean towards the sweetest souls.

 _"You don't understand now because you are too young, Rei, but you have to promise me you won't come near him."_

Rei could practically heard his father... warning her aboout that boy the same way he had some years back, when she tried to approach Gaara.

That boy; Rei knew him. He went to the same class as hers, always sitting alone, always pulling pranks on others.

Iruka's words repeated in her mind then, and she immediately knew what to do. Maybe she didn't need friends, but that boy definitely did. Because her parents had been wrong about Gaara, and she didn't want to repeat that mistake.

"I'm Rei," she stated. "What's your name?"

The blond looked up at her, confusion glowing in his bright blue eyes. There was no trace of malice in the girl's face, but he still stared at her suspicious.

"Naruto," he finally replied.

Silence fell upon them. Rei began to panic; she didn't know what else to do. Naruto kept looking at her as if she were about to kick him or something, and it was making it difficult for her to start a conversation. He watched as the girl fidgeted awkwardly.

"Why?"

Rei titled her head, not understanding what he was implying at all.

"Why are you trying to be nice?" He asked.

Rei thought for a moment, looking for the right words to say.

"Because no one deserves to be alone," she finally said, the sketch of a smile drawing on her lips for the first time in too long.

The grin that broke in his face would have illuminated the darkest alley. The sudden joyful look in his eyes was enough to relieve the despair that had filled her heart for years. Rubbing the back of his neck out of nervousness, he jumped off the swing and eagerly asked,

"Hey, wanna pull some pranks on Iruka-sensei?!"

Poor Iruka didn't know what he had gotten himself into.

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 **Please, let me know what you think.**


	2. II: Interesting groups of idiots

**A/N** : Thank you to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO** :

Interesting group of idiots

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"Team 6: Rei Koizumi, Maki Hashiri and Kazuo Nakahara."

Orange eyes averted from the window to cast a quick glance around the classroom. Her gaze clashed with Maki's, and a huge grin spread across the face of the tanned girl. After responding with a slight smile of her own, Rei resumed her searching. A frown decorated her features and a barely noticeable glint of curiosity shone in her eyes.

 _Kazuo Nakahara,_ she repeated in her mind.

Her lips pursed, and she placed her chin on the palm of her hand. Rei didn't recall having a classmate called Kazuo Nakahara. Truth be told, Rei was not a regular presence in class, and some would say she was like a lost puppy who didn't really know where she belonged. Yet, even so, the girl could recognize every face and name of her classmates with no trouble, for there weren't that many. Hence the wonderment that filled her when an unknown boy was placed in the same team as hers.

Her trail of thoughts was interrupted by a frustrated growl that echoed between the walls of the small classroom, and her attention was claimed by her blond friend. Naruto had buried his face into his arms, and it didn't take her long to figure out what had happened. By the sneaking glares he was giving Sasuke, who was surprisingly sitting beside him, Rei could tell they had been placed together in the same team.

The girl tried to hide an amused expression behind her clasped hands, forgetting about her previous task for a moment. An image of both boys working together for months, and probably for years, crossed her mind and Rei had to fake a cough to suppress her laugh.

When the class was dismissed, Rei made her way towards the freedom outside. She didn't even bother to wait for Naruto, for she knew he'd be eager to –try to– spend lunch with Sakura Haruno.

 _Whatever_ , she thought.

Rei hated nobody, as 'hate' is a strong word, but she _did_ detest Sakura with her whole heart. That superiority complex the pinkette carried, Rei did not stand. That, and the way she treated a sweet soul like Naruto. In some ways, Sakura reminded her to the bullies she had been protecting Naruto from ever since they had become friends.

"I can't believe we've been placed in the same team," a cheerful voice brought the brunette back to reality.

Blinking, Rei glanced at Maki from the corner of her eye. Usually, Rei was the one who sneaked up on people. Not because she liked to give them heart attacks, but because such _art_ was something she had successfully mastered and was proud of it. This time though, Rei had been so lost in thought she hadn't noticed Maki approaching.

"Every team consists of two boys and a girl, so it's quite odd," Maki kept on babbling.

A lopsided smirk tugged on the brunette's lips.

"This only proves that you should have been born as a boy," she casually commented, waving a hand in the air.

She was punched on the head by an offended Maki.

"Anyway," Rei started, rubbing the aching spot while doing so. "I don't even know who this Kazuo guy is."

Maki rolled her eyes, not surprised by her comment.

"He's just got transferred from some small village in the Land of Wind," she explained.

A frown crossed her face that same moment.

 _So he comes from our same country as well_ , Rei thought and hummed, something that had become a habit whenever she found something interesting.

"I've talked to him a couple of times," Maki continued, before her face wrinkled considerably. "He is…"

Just when the tanned girl mentally pondered about the right adjective to describe their new comrade, a boy came rushing towards them. He had raven hair that covered one of his dark blue eyes. His headband was tightly tied around his head, and he was dressed in typical ninja clothes.

"…weak," was what Maki said when the boy tripped over his own foot and crashed on the hard ground.

Kazuo Nakahara quickly stood up, and dusted his clothes. A shy smile broke in his face when he noticed the bewildered looks he was receiving from his teammates.

"I'm Kazuo Nakahara, pleasure to meet you!"

Oddly enough, he bowed.

 _For the love of god, he bowed_ ; Rei was at a loss of words.

Coughing awkwardly, Maki managed to smile nonetheless at the flustered boy.

"This is Rei, and you already know me. How about we go have lunch and forget about this… _little_ incident?"

Everyone agreed.

-#-

Another frustrated growl escaped Naruto's mouth; the third that morning.

 _And counting…_ Rei could only roll her eyes at the sight.

The boy was pacing up and down the classroom, earning annoyed stares from the rest of genin who were scattered around. Rei didn't even bother herself to drag Naruto away from them when they started to tell him off, for his constant complains were getting on her nerves as well. Thus, she opted to avert her eyes from the commotion and to the window. Her eyes got caught on the sky, which stared down at her with bright colors. The sun was still there, but she knew it wouldn't be more than two hours before the splendorous moon replaced it. An anticipated smile tugged on her lips at the thought, for she had always preferred being under its calm glow than suffering from the heated rays of the sun. Somehow, it always managed to relax every fiber of her bones. In addition, it always reminded her of home… her _real_ home.

"Alright maggots!" An authoritative voice brought her back.

Her orange eyes widened slightly when they landed on a crazy-looking-woman. She was standing at the doorframe, her blond hair pulled into a high ponytail. Her brown eyes were glancing around as if looking for something. Surprisingly enough, those orbs stopped on Rei. Then, the girl witnessed the change in the woman's expression. As though she had just found something interesting, the woman smirked, seeming pleased.

And that was enough for the girl to know.

 _Whoever gets this woman as their sensei, will be definitely doomed,_ she thought.

Just then, the blonde woman crossed her arms over her busty chest and yelled,

"Team 6, follow me!"

She walked out before anyone could even blink.

 _Karma has taken a special interest in making my life a living hell,_ Rei mentally cursed as she stood from her seat and followed the crazy woman out.

"We're so doomed."

-#-

Rei sat down next to Maki, and leaned her back on the thick tree behind. The woman had lead them to the training fields, and was staring down at them with a hard look, as though she were trying to see their souls.

"The name's Tora Erizawa, and I will be your sensei from now on," she proclaimed, her hands placed firmly on her hips. "I want you to introduce yourselves. State your name, dislikes, and aspirations for the future."

Three pair of eyes stared at her as though she had grown two heads, which was causing Tora to arch an eyebrow to the point it disappeared behind her bangs.

"Isn't 'Tora' a guy's name?" Maki whispered to Kazuo, who nodded fervently.

"And why the dislikes, wouldn't it be useful to know our likes as well then?"

Rei couldn't help but roll her eyes exasperatedly. Her teammates were clueless about the displeased look their sensei was giving them.

"I won't tolerate disrespectful comments, and to make sure you understand I'm not someone you can make fun of, you'll do three laps around the village every time you do so."

Tora's words were enough to make the two stop gossiping, and turn their heads to stare in utterly shock at the angry woman. Her brown eyes narrowed ever so slightly. To say that the busty woman wasn't intimidating would be a lie, for even Rei was having a hard time remaining indifferent.

"Also, I do not like to be questioned about my methods, so if you're bold enough as to dare to ask about them, I hope you'll be prepared to confront the consequences."

Her grave tone left no room for retorting, and three heads nodded immediately.

"Good," Tora said, seeming pleased. "Moving on, introductions are in order."

Maki was the first to speak, fearing to face the wrath of the woman.

"I'm Maki Hashiri. I dislike many things, like bugs or ramen; I specially detest ramen." That made Rei smile amused as the sudden image of Naruto yelling at her for hating ramen crossed her mind. "As for my aspirations, I want to become the greatest user of Lightning jutsus of the moment."

 _That's interesting_ ; Tora couldn't help but think, before her gaze fell upon the boy, "Next."

"My name is Kazuo Nakahara, and I don't really dislike anything in particular. However, I can say I hate losing, even though I'm used to it." He earned some glances from the genin next to him. "Unfortunately, I'm not strong enough to put my expectations as high as everyone else, so I want to use my abilities as a medical ninja to support them from behind."

The corners of Rei turned up ever so slightly, as she felt her insides melt by the sincerity of his words. However, the woman who stood before them didn't seem pleased in the least, for a frown had worked its way to her face as she looked disapprovingly at the boy. The action didn't go unnoticed though.

Truth be told, Rei didn't see weakness with good eyes either. Nevertheless, if there was something that had always earned her respect, it would be effort itself. There were many people who lacked talent, but she believed in improvement. In addition, Rei believed everyone needed to strive oneself in order to reach magnificence. But that level was too high for someone to reach; that's why she had never stopped training. Improvement is something that doesn't attains limits. Naruto had proved her so through the years they had been together, and even though he always got frustrated for failing all the time, Rei was amazed by his obstinacy. Never to give up, that was what she had learned from the noisy boy.

By the look in Kazuo's eyes, the girl could feel that he was really having a bad time admitting his weakness. However, she could also see that he was determined to help the best way he could, and she gave him credit for that.

Hard, brown eyes fell upon her figure. Tora had her arms crossed over her chest and an analyzing look in her gaze as she watched her, expectative.

"Rei Koizumi," she stated, giving the woman a piece of her own hard look. "My aspiration for the future is simple: becoming the greatest kunoichi in the five lands, overstepping my limits and creating new ones."

Something that could be seen as approval shone in Tora's gaze.

"That surely is a big dream." If it hadn't been for the interest her voice gave away, Rei would have thought that she was mocking her. "Are you telling me that you're actually planning on becoming Hokage?"

"I don't want to be Hokage."

An eyebrow arched.

"Oh? Why not?"

Tora was looking at the girl with a mixture of interest and vague curiosity. To her surprise, and everyone else's, Rei replied with a casual,

"Because Naruto is going to occupy that position."

Utter shock crossed her face when the words left the brunette's mouth, for that was the last thing she was expecting to hear. Within the seconds that followed her statement, silence fell between them. However, Tora recovered from the shock and amusement danced in her eyes.

"The Uzumaki boy." She smiled a smile that Rei didn't like in the least, for it was a gesture she had seen so many times in her life. It was the same look Naruto received whenever he insisted in becoming Hokage.

It was an expression of mocking disbelief. Something inside her churned with rage, and the girl glared challengingly at her sensei.

"What about your dislikes?"

Rei thought for a moment.

"I'm going to be bold and say that," she paused. "I dislike you."

Gasps were heard from the genin sitting next to her, who looked at her as if she were mental –which she probably was. However, the corners of Tora's mouth curled up.

"Five laps around the village, Koizumi. You've got twenty minutes to finish, if you're not done by then, you'll be running till I decided it's enough. Starting now!"

Maki shot up to her feet, and pointed an accusative finger at the smirking woman.

"Wait, you said three laps!"

"Hashiri, join her."

Without much of a glance, Rei decided to grab her friend by the arm and drag her away. Startling the girls a bit, Kazuo followed them.

"Kazuo, what do you think you are doing?" Maki blurted out, a frown slowly forming on her lips.

The boy scratched nervously his neck. A blush had crept to his cheeks, as though he were embarrassed of something. And he didn't look at them when he said,

"I'm already weaker than you two, and if you start to improve I don't want to be left behind."

A genuine smile tugged on Rei's lips before she took his hand to give him a reassuring squeeze. Feeling the sudden touch, Kazuo turned his head to look surprised at her.

"You've already wasted five precious minutes! You'll be running for the rest of the day at this rate!"

Three pair of legs began racing away, leaving a satisfied-looking-Tora behind. She watched as the team disappeared after rounding a corner, a pleased expression plastered on her features.

"What an interesting group of idiots."

# Some days later #

A tense silence surrounded her, only broken by her agitated breathing. Her eyes had still not become used to the cold darkness that invaded the cracked building, thus she was almost blind to any possible danger. Fortunately, the earpiece she carried with her connected her to the rest of her team, and most importantly, to Maki. Not to disrespect her other teammate, but Maki's abilities were way more useful and needed at that moment than Kazuo's. The boy was currently waiting outside the building in case Rei needed his help, yet she was managing just fine for the time being.

"Rei, you got two on the left and one on the right," Maki's muffled voice came from the earphone.

And just after Rei was warned, she felt someone running at her from the right. Still not used to the inscrutable darkness, the girl could only trust her instincts to fight. Quickly pulling out a kunai from her pocket, she threw it in the direction of the approaching footsteps. A sound of metal clashing echoed throughout the place, and that was enough for her to know her weapon had been blocked. Despite the situation, the brunette tried to remain calm and not let panic took control of her body. Eventually, she closed her eyes, for they were being of no help at that point, and focused.

"Chakra," Tora's words crossed her mind. Not many days ago, the woman had forced her to waste almost all of her chakra in training. Ironically, said action had helped her to improve her physical skills, and she had been taking advantage of that exhausting lesson to fight ever since.

Doing her best to ignore the rapid beats of her heart, Rei concentrated on gathering the last bit of chakra and sent it to every fiber of her body in order to create a shield around her. Of course, she knew she couldn't rely on it as much as she wanted to, but it provided her the protection and confidence she needed.

"Rei, the one on the right is right there!" Maki's voice warned her through the auricular just before the brunette received a punch in her _left_ cheek.

Caught completely off guard, Rei could only grab a hold of her enemy's wrist as she was thrown to the ground due to the force of the impact. Fortunately for her, she managed to drag her adversary with her. As her head slammed on the solid surface, pain crept down her spine, almost knocking her out. Suppressing a moan, Rei rolled over them and quickly plunged a kunai right through their chest. Smoke immediately hit her face as the replica disappeared.

The girl ignored the burning in her head and clumsily stood up; her eyes tried to blink away the shiny dots that flooded her sight. It was still dark, yet she knew she couldn't let her guard drop or else it would mean her failure. And, as she had explained every time she was asked, Rei hated losing. She could hear Maki shouting through the auricular, but for some reason, the brunette couldn't quite comprehend her words. Thus, she mentally cursed and tossed the piece of plastic to the darkness behind her. Sweat was rolling down her forehead, she soon noticed, and she rapidly wiped it with the back of her hand. However, oddly enough, she kept sweating as though she had just run from Konoha to Suna in a day. Shaking off the bad feeling rolling down her veins, Rei began to focus on expanding the chakra around her so that way the useless shield that was supposed to protect her became stronger. As she did, she could feel her heart beating fearfully fast, and her breathing turning more labored. Her throat tightened and her muscles tensed.

And, suddenly, there was a blast as everything was blown away from her.

"Enough!" Tora's voice was distant, even though Rei could feel the woman standing right above her as her body lay completely still on the cold ground. Rounded, brown eyes stared down at her, panic and surprise written in them. "Oi, Koizumi, are you alright?"

When she received nothing but silence, Tora gave out an exasperated sigh.

 _'Guess not,_ ' she thought as her mind began to ponder about the girl before her _._ Her head was covered in blood, probably due to the hit against the ground when one of her replicas attacked her. Turning towards the other two genin, whose faces were contorted into expressions of panic and concern, the woman waved them over. "It's pretty obvious your abilities need to be trained. Damn, I don't even know where to start. Hashiri, you definitely must work on your genjutsu. But, you'll do that after taking this insensible girl to the Hospital."

Instantly, Maki rushed to her friend and started towards the Hospital at the other side of the village, carrying the unconscious genin on her back –as she had soon realized it'd be pointless to carry her any other way.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tora's voice stopped the male member of the team as he attempted to follow his comrades. The woman stared down at him with hard eyes, her features furrowed in disappointment and displeasure. "Say, what were you doing during the test?"

"Uh, I was helping Rei." His response wasn't that accurate though; as Rei hadn't even felt his presence. Yet, truth be told, Kazuo had been _attempting_ to aid the girl; sadly, the darkness surrounding him had been too dense and his effort had been to no avail.

A heavy sigh escaped Tora's lips; she didn't like what she was being forced to do.

"Listen carefully, boy," she began, her brown gaze scrutinizing him as she talked. "I know you said you're weak; I'm sure of that now. However, you can't expect to just wait for your comrades to get hurt so that you'll be able to do something. The point of being in a team is that you protect each other, and fight together. Thus, you need to work on something else aside from your medical jutsus."

Although the woman had a way of lecturing he didn't like, Kazuo could understand her point; she was right. If Kazuo wanted to be an actual part of Team 6 –to stop being a burden–, he'd have to learn taijutsu at the very least. Much to his surprise, however, Tora had other plans for him.

"Now, does your clan own any useful techniques?"

Kazuo blinked, taken aback.

"Well, yes," he confirmed her thoughts, and then added, "but I've never been able to learn them."

Unable to hide her exasperation towards the boy, the woman rolled her eyes and gnashed her teeth.

"Of course not, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation." She then crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, this is what we'll do: there are some things I have to deal with, so meanwhile, you look through your clan's shit and bring whatever you find useful to me."

-#-

Silence enveloped the room, only disturbed by the occasional, low coughs coming from the Hokage as he took drags on his large pipe. Smoke surrounded him, hiding his figure as he sat peacefully on the comfy cushion he had placed underneath in order to avoid making contact with the cold floor. Sighing in content, the old man closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy a moment of serenity. However, much to his dislike, the second he exhaled another puff of smoke, some knocks at the door brought him back to reality. A grunt of displeasure escaped his throat before he pulled a calm expression and voiced a "come in".

His features contorted into a mask of surprise when the door swung open and in walked a serious-looking-Tora. The unexpected visit provoked him to start coughing loudly, and while ignoring the aversion plastered on the woman's face, he motioned for her to sit before him.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Tora?" He asked cautiously when she obliged, his gaze searching her face. "I trust the test went as expected."

"Not really," she admitted, her voice firm. "Rei almost killed herself."

The Hokage's eyes widened at the news.

"She's resting now," Tora quickly added, to which Hiruzen gave out a relieved sigh. "I saw it from afar, and sensed it as well. At first, it looked as though she were concentrating on controlling her chakra the way I told her. However, at some point, her chakra began to combine with the air surrounding her. My hunch is that she was unaware of what she was causing, thus why she didn't see it coming and hence her confusion when a blast of wind knocked her off her feet."

As the woman explained the event, Hiruzen had been closely listening to every word. To say the Hokage was bewildered would be an understatement, for he was but expecting that kind of news. Nevertheless, he took another drag on his pipe and sent Tora a solemn stare before exhaling the smoke.

"I see, that's unexpected," he murmured.

"Indeed it is," she conceded, her nose crunched due to the smoke that was flooding her sight. "However, it might not be as unfortunate as we thought it'd be."

Hiruzen arched an inquisitive brow.

"And why is that, I wonder?" His voice gave away his discrepancy, but Tora pay it no mind.

"Considering the irritable situation Konoha is in at the moment, convoking the nations to participate in the Chunnin Exams could not be enough to stop the threat. If any of them decides to attack, it'd be better for everyone to have as many soldiers as possible," she explained.

"You mean to train Rei to become a soldier?! That's unthinkable; she's too young to throw her into that messy situation," Hiruzen exclaimed, unnerved by such proposition.

However, Tora was having none of it.

"I'm afraid it's not your decision to make," she voiced, her eyes glinting with impatience and anger. "I'm just the messenger here; the _order_ comes from above."

The Hokage frowned at that, already fearing the worst. It was true though: his opinion would never be taken in consideration by them. Then again, he couldn't help but wonder why those people would ask for such nonsense so suddenly; they had been, after all, the voice of reason among their community.

"I don't see why you're here, then," the man spoke clearly. That woman always brought the worst out of him, no matter the conversation they could share. And, for some reason, he had the impression she was hiding something.

"You're still the Hokage. I think you deserve some respect, despite the situation." With that, she slightly bowed, turned on her heels and walked out.

Hiruzen's gaze remained locked on the closed door as his mind replayed the conversation with Tora, but the man ended up shaking his head.

 _Must be the age_ , he concluded.

* * *

 **Please, let me know what you think about the OCs.**


	3. III: The Upcoming Chunin Exams

**CHAPTER THREE:**

The upcoming Chūnin Exams

* * *

 _"When you have expectations, you are setting yourself up for disappointment."_

* * *

It had been almost a week since Rei –and the rest of the genin– had been placed in their respective teams, and things had gone great so far. Surprisingly, they had passed the exam to become genin, even though Rei had fallen unconscious at the end. And, after being released from the Hospital, Team 6 had started to go on missions. However, Rei couldn't help but feel that those D-ranked missions her team had been accomplishing wouldn't lead them to anywhere near the greatest shinobi. But she wasn't going to complain, seeing as her noisy friend had enough wailings for the both of them.

"I'm done with these silly missions!" Naruto pulled a face as he threw his arms in the air, waiving frantically. "I don't want to chase demoniacal cats; that's not what we ninjas are supposed to do!"

"I feel you," Rei agreed, her eyes fixed on the back of Ichiraku as she waited for her ramen. A hand was placed under her chin, and she carried a sour mood with her; the reason being none other than boredom. The young girl had been eager when she passed the exam some days back, as the thought of a radical change in the path of her life sounded too good to be true. And so it had seemed to be, for nothing but lack of excitement and daily boring routines had accompanied her. "My last mission almost killed me out of boredom; we had to look after a baby as if he would run away anytime soon. Like seriously, the stupid thing couldn't even stand on his feet without smashing his _cute_ little head on the ground."

Naruto snorted at the thought, but his frustration faded away when his Ichiraku placed his bowl of ramen before him. Quickly, he shoved some into his mouth.

"Ad lesd you fon'd haf do sdanf Daske," he said, earning a disgusted glance from the girl next to him.

"I honestly didn't get a single word you've said," Rei admitted, rolling her eyes at the sight of Naruto devouring his food.

The blond swallowed, and repeated, "At least you don't have to stand Sasuke."

An amused smile tugged on her lips as she nodded.

"Yeah, that must suck." Rei shoved some noodles in her mouth, swallowed and then added, "But Tora-sensei is probably the most insane person you could ever find."

The brunette winced at the remembrance of the crazy woman and her creepy smirks of satisfaction every time she failed at something. Every day, Tora would oblige them to force their limits to no end. To say that Rei passed out the first days was an understatement. However, if there was something good about Tora's strict training it would be its effectiveness. Rei's resistance had improved extremely; something her sensei had noticed.

"Kakashi-sensei is always late, and always blames it on being held up for helping out an old lady or something like that," Naruto huffed, obviously annoyed.

"That's nice of him though," Rei stated, giving her friend a look.

The boy groaned.

"But they're all lies!"

The sight of Naruto waving his arms in the air, frustration clearly in his blue eyes, was funny enough to make Rei laugh. Naruto immediately glared at her, which caused the girl to lift her arms in defense. But the sketch of an amused smile remained on her face.

"Koizumi!"

Both genin turned towards the voice, only to see a boy their age running towards them. A frown touched Naruto's features as he watched the stranger approach.

"Who's that?"

"That's my teammate, twit."

The blond crossed his arms over his chest. Concentration reflected on his face as he thought, before he finally opened his eyes.

"I don't remember him," he confessed, confused.

"Kazuo Nakahara."

Silence.

"Still don't remember him."

The corner of her lips turned up.

"No wonder we are friends," she proudly said. "I didn't remember him either. Maki told me he transferred from a small village some days before the exams."

Even though Naruto tried to look like he remembered now, it was pretty clear that he was as clueless as before. Rei rolled her eyes at him, and got off the stool.

"Koizumi, thank the Hokages I found you!" Kazuo finally reached them, and placed his hands on his knees as he panted softly.

Never mind Tora's training; Kazuo didn't seem to have improved at all. He strived, probably more than any of his teammates, but it took him a lot to catch up. Rei had tried to help him sometimes, but her good intentions had been to no avail.

"What's it, Kazuo?"

The raven-haired boy had caught Rei's attention, and she was curious as to why he had run all the way from the training fields to where she was.

Kazuo wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Tora-sensei… she suddenly showed up and demanded to talk to you. Literally kicked me out and I swear, she gets scarier every day," he spoke rapidly. "Koizumi, I don't know what you've done, but I've never seen her so excited."

Although Rei didn't really feel like following Kazuo, something inside her churned with curiosity. Besides, her avoiding Tora would only lead her to more training and sorer muscles. And, honestly, Rei wasn't ready to greet unconsciousness anytime soon. Waving goodbye at Naruto, she started after Kazuo, who was already running down the crowded street.

A frown was still plastered on Naruto's face, only for it to disappear when he realized something.

"Rei, you forgot to pay!"

But the girl was long gone, and the blond could only curse her quick-witted brain.

-#-

Rei held her gaze as she tried to process her words. She was unable to speak, for the very first time in her whole short life. Taken aback by Tora's explanation, she could only stare at the woman as though she had grown two heads. However, as startling as the situation was, she saw no trace of lies in her sensei's brown eyes. So, as her mind began to comprehend, Rei nodded stiffly as if she were giving Tora her approval.

The woman, satisfied at how she had respond to the news, allowed her lips to curl upwards into an eager smirk. Clapping her hands together, she looked up at the sky only for her smirk to widen. The light blue that colored it was enough for her to make a decision, the one she wanted to. It was as though even the nature agreed with her, and she drifted her eyes to look at Rei.

"We'll start training today," she revealed. "However, I still have to _take care_ of the other two," she said it as if she was disgusted by the mere idea. "So, once you get how your abilities work, you'll train alone. I'll check on you once a day, but other than that, you won't see anyone. You'll be here, and nowhere else for the next week; which means, you'll be training from early in the morning to dawn. Understood?"

Rei nodded, determined to learn to use the wind like a third arm. The wind, the symbol of her hometown; how ironic.

"What about missions?" She asked then, which earned her a scoff.

"This will be your mission, you'd better accomplish it," Tora harshly said.

' _Anything for you, milady_ ,' Rei returned the scoff mentally, sarcasm dripping her words.

-#-

Walking down the crowded street was always stressful, especially at that specific time of the day when the sun was beginning to fade into the horizon. It was like a trigger. Whenever the sky turned orange, announcing sunset, the throng would come out of every building, happy yet exhausted expressions decorating their features. Of course, after a long day working nonstop, one would understand their eagerness to head home. However, Rei thought quite the opposite. From her point of view, the faster those people moved, the later they would arrive home, for they got stuck between the crowds who had the same purpose as they did. Besides, it irked her to hell not being able to walk without being pushed by every single person who crossed paths with her.

Usually, she had to restrain herself from getting into arguments whenever someone unconsciously hit her. But, that time the fatigue weighed too much; she hadn't been able to sleep for more than three hours per day, not to say she hadn't seen her friends for a whole week and, as much as she had tried to avoid it, she was feeling the solitude again. Thus, when a man in his late fifty pushed her as if she were a useless bug, she snapped.

"Oi, I know I'm short and you seem to be too focused on your own thoughts; but I'm still a fucking human being, you asshole!" She growled, effectively making the man stop to look at her. "So if you hit me again, I'll hit you back."

However, he merely shrugged her off and turned around. Unnerved, Rei took a step forward but was stopped dead in her tracks when a voice called for her.

"Rei?"

The girl turned around so quick that her elbow connected with the back of a woman who was walking by. But she pay her no mind and merely stared with utter surprise into those familiar green eyes.

"Temari?"

-#-

Rei thanked Ichiraku as he placed the ramen she had previously ordered in front of her. The sweet scent of roasted pork reached her nostrils, and she moaned in anticipation; it had been too long since she had last tasted one of those delicious meals the old man prepared. Her training was taking more time –and more energy– than she could have ever expected, and so she had barely an hour for herself, which she usually spent on lying on the roof of Maki's house to stare up at the starry sky that resembled so much to her real home, before she called it a day.

Speaking of her home, never in her life would she have thought she'd be sitting at Ichiraku's with two of her most beloved childhood friends. They both had grown into two strong-looking shinobi; that much was evident.

"I would've never expected to see you here, Rei," Kankurō said after devouring his ramen in less than a minute, which earned himself a disgusted frown from his sister.

The brunette nodded once and looked at him, and she could've sworn there was something akin to accusation shining in his eyes.

"After the… _incident_ , Maki's mom decided it'd be best for me to move in with them," she explained, almost stoically. "That same day we came to Konoha."

Both siblings exchanged a knowing glance, like a secret spoken with their eyes, before they turned to the short girl.

To be honest, Rei hadn't really talked to anyone about the tragedy in years, and she'd rather keep it that way. In fact, there was only one person in the village that was aware of the horrors she had went through when she was but a child; the same person whose own childhood was cursed with a similar memory tainted in despair. As Rei gazed at her meal, she couldn't help but wonder about her blond, good friend. The last time they had met had been some days ago, when he was about to depart on a C-ranked mission to the Village Hidden by Mist, in the Land of Water.

"Where is Maki, by the way?" Kankurō asked suddenly, and Rei gladly welcomed the change of subject.

"I wouldn't know. Haven't seen her in days," she replied truthfully, before adding, "Probably training somewhere."

Hearing that, Temari arched a brow, surprised, and spoke for the first time after minutes of suspicious silence.

"Training?" she repeated, as though the mere idea was hard for her to believe.

Rei nodded, finished her meal and waved a hand in a nonchalant way.

"I've been training myself, thus why I haven't seen her," she explained. Then, the corner of her mouth turned slightly up to form a lopsided smirk. "But I shouldn't talk to you about this, considering we'll be competing against each other very soon."

At her words, Kankurō chocked on his own saliva.

"You're particip–ow!" he yelped when the elbow of his sister connected with his stomach, then paused to glare at the blonde before turning back to Rei. "So, you two made it to Genin."

"Isn't it obvious, butthead?" Temari rolled her eyes, annoyed yet used to Kankurō's thickness, and pointed to the blue band Rei wore around her forehead. The symbol of the leaf that recognized her as a Shinobi of Konoha shone on its middle, printed on the metallic surface with care. "It suits you," she commented casually, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen upon them, while she nonchalantly placed her chin on her hand.

For some seconds, Rei didn't respond. Honestly, she wasn't sure if her words were meant to come out sarcastically, or if the blonde was speaking heartily. By the way she seemed to survey her with scrutinizing eyes, Rei ventured to bet Temari didn't feel too enthusiastic about the fact she was spending time with them.

Her own gaze hardened slightly.

"And who's your third teammate?"

Those words seemed to trigger an unexpected reaction in them, and surprisingly, Temari looked uncomfortable for the first time since they'd been sitting there.

"Wait, do I know them?" Rei couldn't help but feel curious, as it had been long since she had last seen someone from her hometown.

"I don't think so," Temari said, avoiding her inquisitive stare by busing herself with glancing around the now-less-crowded street. "It's getting late."

"We should probably head back to the motel," Kankurō quickly agreed, already jumping off the stool.

The siblings placed the money they owed to Ichiraku on the table before turning to Rei, whose façade was tinted with a mask of serenity, much to their surprise. They watched in wary silence as the short girl followed their steps, stood up, dusted her clothes and looked back at them.

"It was nice meeting you both," she sincerely said, her voice firm and detached of emotion. "Good night."

No more words were shared between the three of them as she rounded on her heels and walked away, heading anywhere but her so-called home. Rei needed to mull their conversation over and think about what their presence in Konoha would mean to her. It was a fact that they'd be seeing each other in the Chūnin Exams, and no one was able to tell what it would imply; whether they were destined to fight each other, or if they'd be just passengers on one another's path. And, to be quite honest, Rei wasn't sure which of the two options she'd rather face. After that small encounter, she had soon come to the conclusion the Suna shinobi didn't trust her anymore; not enough to reveal something as simple as the identity of their teammate, at least.

As her feet quietly dragged her down the illuminated streets of Konoha, Rei wondered if those exams would mean the end of what once had been a great friendship.

She frowned at the thought.

For some reason, she could feel the strings of that bond already tensing, ready to break under the smallest of the pressures. In fact, the girl couldn't help but find herself completely detached from her childhood friends. She also found herself missing the days when the four of them –Maki was always there, as well– would hang out, laugh careless and tease each other with the only purpose to make the rest laugh even more.

"Rei!" someone called from behind, effectively stopping her trail of thoughts and causing her to turn towards the source of the loud voice.

A boy dressed in the most ridiculous, green attire rushed to her from the opposite side of the long street, his long legs carrying him at an incredibly fast pace. How he always managed to make himself heard over the background noise of people chatting animatedly around him, she would never know. A heavy sigh escaped her lips before she could hold it in, but Rei didn't move from her spot and decided to wait for the energetic boy to catch up with her.

"I didn't expect to see you today," Rock Lee confessed as the two of them resumed their walk.

Rei snorted sarcastically.

"You're not the first person to tell me so," she commented, to which Lee shrugged casually.

"It's no wonder why so many people are shocked to see you around, honestly. You've been missing for days," he pointed out, giving her a curious glance afterwards. "Where have you been?"

"Training," she simply stated, but she arched an eyebrow when the boy's curious stare turned into one of excitement. "We're not sparing."

Lee's face dropped.

"But, why not?" he whined while throwing his arms in the air to add more drama to his act.

Rei was about to respond, when something caught her eye. Stopping dead in her tracks, she found her gaze fixated on the figure that was casually sitting on one of the highest roofs of Konoha. From her spot on the ground, it was difficult to reach to distinguish something else than their relaxed silhouette as they stared straight ahead. But, at that time of the day, the moon shone bright in the night sky, and its pale rays worked their way to the paths made between the humble houses below.

Her orange eyes widened, prey to utter astonishment, as they caught a glimpse of their fiery red hair.

"Rei!" Lee planted himself in front of her and waved a hand before her face, effectively blocking her sight. Fastest than the sound, she caught his wrist mid-air and stepped around him to glance up again. Much to her dismay, no one was there. "What's wrong?" he asked, following her gaze, only to frown in confusion.

Mimicking his actions, Rei glanced around curiously before mentally shaking her head.

"Nothing, I thought I saw someone," she replied with a sigh.

Lee seemed satisfied with the answer, for he turned around and motioned for Rei to follow.

"So, how's your team doing?" he asked after some minutes of comfortable quietness. "Are you excited for the Chūnin Exams?"

"I guess."

"That doesn't sound too enthusiastic." The boy regarded her with disappointed eyes, then punched the air above him. "You have to be more youthful, Rei!"

Unable to hold back a scoff, she pinched the brick of her nose and muttered, "You drain every bit of energy from me."

"That's just mean."

"And you're so much like Naruto sometimes," she muttered.

And she was right. Naruto Uzumaki and Rock Lee probably had more in common than Rei would've anticipated when she first met them, what with their seemingly boundless stamina; something that both helped them in training and ended with Rei's patience at the same time.

"Which reminds me that you haven't introduced him to me," Lee accused, evidently annoyed at his friend's lack of enthusiasm.

"I've been busy," she partially lied. Truth was, the girl didn't think it'd be such a good idea that both Genin met, not if she cared about the village's safety.

"You're always busy!"

"I'm a busy person."

"I got that."

The rest of the walk went quiet for most of the time, only disturbed when Lee tried to convince her to spar with him. Each of those times she would either decline his petition, or ignore his pleads. When the couple reached their destination, Rei couldn't stop the sigh of relief that suddenly escaped her and quickly jogged to Maki's home.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" Lee called out as he walked some more feet down the same street before entering his own home, leaving an exasperated Rei behind.

Her relationship with Rock Lee was one of the strangest she had ever had, and it started off as a rocky companionship. Having someone so loud and energetic as him for a neighbor was something she loathed from the very beginning. At first, Rei didn't mind him; she'd simply ignore his presence and constant tactics to attract her attention. Nevertheless, after months of being continuously _harassed_ by him, the girl couldn't hold her annoyance anymore and told him off.

Rei knew if it hadn't been for Naruto, she would have never apologized to the boy and would be still treating him poorly. Honestly, she owed Naruto Uzumaki more than she would ever be able to admit.

Upon entering the humble house, the delicious smell of freshly cooked rice reached her. The corner of her lips twitched slightly when the joyful voice of the youngest member of the Hashiri family invaded the place, his agitated footsteps clacking over the wooden floor as he trotted around the living room. He was soon silenced though, after a not-so-happy Maki scolded him for stepping on her foot. By the way Maki spoke to her brother, Rei guessed their mother had yet to come back from the Hospital, where she worked as an admirable medic nin.

As the loud voice of Maki broke the quiet atmosphere once again, Rei shook her head lightly and proceeded to take her sandals off. She then began to make her way towards the source of the noise, her mind somewhere else as she replayed the unexpected events of the day. And to think she thought the strangest thing happening to her would be when one of the techniques she was trying so hard to master managed to throw her headfirst into the cold river… She could still feel some of her clothes sticking to her skin due to the water that had yet to dry out.

"But I don't want to go to bed yet!" Aido Hashiri whined as he hid behind the blue sofa.

"I can still see your blond head, little shit."

Rei smiled softly upon reaching the living room and watched the scene in slight amusement. The small boy quickly put both arms over his head, as to prevent his sister from seeing it.

"And now I see your arms as well." Maki rolled her eyes, but she didn't move from her spot at the other side of the couch. And even though Rei knew how little her patience was when it came to watching over Aido, she was also certain the boy was amusing her.

"I'm going to tell mom you're being mean to me," he muttered, loud enough for both girls to hear.

"And I'll tell her you threw the rice she made for you out the window."

"I wanted to feed the birds and you wouldn't let me!"

"The birds don't want you to feed them," Maki groaned.

As expected, Aido broke crying. And, as expected, no one paid mind to him.

"I'm tired," he mumbled suddenly, getting up from his _hiding_ spot as he wiped his eyes.

"Of course you are," Maki said as she shook her head out of exasperation, then turned around. Instantly, her mood lightened up, and she smiled. "Hey, Rei."

As the raven-haired girl took her annoying, little brother to his room, Rei flopped on the couch. Closing her tired eyes, she breathed in deeply and allowed herself a moment of peace. It had been a long day, and normally, she would be already sleeping; but there was something floating her mind that didn't let her rest completely.

"I'm so done with today," Maki groaned as she sat down next to her. "Thank God our lessons are finally over. I don't think I'd be able to stand Tora's yelling one more time."

Rei opened her eyes to look at her.

"I can't stand her either," she agreed.

"But you don't have to listen to her day after day," Maki pointed out. "I actually wonder why."

Rei frowned slightly, confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked, to which Maki merely waved a hand dismissively.

"Doesn't matter."

The brunette observed her for some seconds before giving in, "If you say so." She ran a hand through her short hair, sat up and adopted a serious expression. "Temari and Kankurõ are here," she revealed.

The reaction was immediate; Maki jumped to her feet and faced her with shock shining in her dark eyes.

"They are here?"

Rei pursed her lips into an annoyed frown.

"That's exactly what I said."

But Maki wasn't listening to her anymore, and she began pacing around the room without sparing her even a glance. Irritated by her attitude, the shorter girl huffed in aggravation and leaned back, wishing her friend would stop mumbling under her breath and calm down. It took her five long minutes, but Maki eventually sat back down.

Frowning, she simply commented, "The Chūnin Exams."

Still upset with her, Rei sighed and nodded to confirm her thoughts.

"That's unfortunate," Maki admitted. "I suppose they're not eager to fight us either."

Thinking back to the conversation she had shared with the Suna siblings, Rei bit back a snarky comment.

 _I'm not so sure about that._

"Speaking of, how are you doing? Are you any stronger?" Maki asked excitedly, her hands clapped together as she stared at her friend in curiosity.

Leaning her head on the back of the comfy couch, Rei merely shrugged.

"I wouldn't know," she admitted. "This training is all but fighting someone."

Maki frowned.

"What do you mean?"

A sigh left her lips, one that reflected the exhaustion and frustration the girl felt inside.

"I've been training day after day, hoping that sooner or later I'd be able to do something with what Tora's trying to teach me," she began. "But mixing my chakra with the wind is not that easy, and I haven't really accomplished anything great."

Maki hummed and tapped her chin with her finger; which Rei had learned she did whenever she tried to find a solution to an issue.

"I don't know, but what you're doing is something that's supposedly out of our league, for now," she commented. "I'm not sure why Tora is asking this from you. But if she has, it's because you can do it." She paused, titled her head and asked, "Isn't there anything that can help you with this?"

Rei shook her head no.

"There's no –"

 _"Rei, there's something for you waiting in my room. Why don't you go up and look for it, can you do that?"_

Her orange eyes widened, and Rei jumped to her feet. Staring at nothing in concrete, her gaze focused straight ahead, she replayed her last encounter with her parents, so many years ago, before they went out to face the demon of Suna.

She could remember herself running up the stairs to her parent's room, opening the door with both hands, rushing inside, looking anywhere her curious gaze crashed upon, dropping to her knees before an old trunk…

"Rei…?"

A sad smile touched her lips.

 _"Dad, I found it!"_

Rei then remembered herself taking it in her small hand, jumping to her feet, running back down the stairs… and, ignoring the warnings of her mother, opening the front door to rush outside.

Pushing the painful memory to the back of her mind, Rei forced a smile and glanced at her concerned-looking friend from the corner of her eye.

"I may have something."

-#-

Meanwhile, some feet away from the Hashiri's, a lonely figure roamed the streets. Under the intense moonlight, his fiery red hair seemed to have its own brightness as it was ruffled by the soft breeze of the night. He walked quietly; no sound was made by his footstep as he made his way towards the only motel in Konoha. From afar, one would say he moved with the grace of the wind, swiftly yet slowly. But in fact, it was sand what carried him and surrounded his form from head to toe; so fine it was almost invisible to the eye.

No one dared to lay their gaze upon him for too long. There was something scarier following him, like a shadow: a dark aura that screamed danger. His aquamarine eyes were cold as ice, and they glowed with a terrifying expression that reflected the murderous, bloodthirsty character that lived within the boy.

"Do you think we should tell him?"

As he slid along the corridor of the motel, heading his room, he could easily hear his siblings whispering agitatedly from inside theirs.

"He won't probably care," his brother replied.

"Or he will _probably_ care too much," his sister argued.

"…that wouldn't be good."

"You think?" his sister was certainly aggravated by the thickness residing inside his brother's head, as usual. "We can't afford letting Gaara lose control. He's already eager, ready to… _kill_."

Gaara would've probably ignored them, as he was used to them gossiping about him. However, he turned his head slightly towards the closed door and ordered his sand to slide it open, not moving his hands even an inch. Immediately, the whispering stopped, and surprise took over both Suna siblings' features.

"G-Gaara," Kankurõ stuttered, fear already plastered on his expression.

As expected, Temari remained silent; she knew better than to start babbling like her idiot-for-a-brother Kankurõ. Yet her eyes instantly became alert, and she stiffened when Gaara walked in at a deadly pace.

"What is it that I you've _decided_ I shouldn't know?" His voice was rasped, low and permeated in indifference.

Kankurõ and Temari knew that tone far too well, though, and they quickly glanced at one another, alarmed. The unspoken warning hidden under his tone got them both straightened like soldiers ready to receive a rebuke from their superior.

"It doesn't matter, really," Kankurõ chuckled nervously, waving his hands in the air while he did.

His deadly glare fell upon the puppeteer, immediately silencing him and causing him to take a step back.

"You _should_ stop deciding what matters and what does not," Gaara said calmly, but the threat was clear; louder than before.

Worried, the only girl in the room took a hesitant step forward, sneaked a quick glance at the redhead before looking at Kankurõ.

"Let's just… stay calm. He's right," Temari said slowly, as if fearing she'd make things worse if she spoke any quicker. Then, she let out a deep breath and forced herself to fix her green eyes on Gaara, whose own gaze drifted to stare her down. "If Gaara wants to know, we'll tell him."

Kankurõ scowled and glared at the back of his sister's head, unamused with her decision of taking Gaara's side but understanding it nonetheless.

The redhead regarded them silently for what seemed to be hours, crossed his arms over his chest and didn't say a word to acknowledge her.

"We met someone… from our childhood," Temari revealed, wincing ever so slightly when his eyes glanced at her again. "She was –"

The girl stopped mid-sentence, taken by surprise, as Gaara turned around and began to leave the room. Neither she nor her brother dared to question his action; they merely watched still, not moving a single finger.

Before the demon of Suna left though, his emotionless voice invaded the place one last time.

"I don't care –" He titled his head to send them one last look, "– so long as she stays out of my way."

His body disappeared in thin air, leaving only the smell of bloodied sand behind.

"I'm so going to kill him," Kankurõ growled once they were alone, only to yelp in pain when the blonde girl punched him on the back of his head.

"Stop testing your luck, idiot."


	4. IV: Anticipation

CHAPTER FOUR:

Anticipation

* * *

 _ **"The most painful goodbyes are the ones that are never said and never explained."**_

* * *

Sweat rolled down her forehead, dirt decorated her features. Her breath came out in puffs, labored and fast, her legs trembled due to the immense effort, her heart beat erratically inside its cage.

Her figure crouched over the grassy ground, and she placed her hands over her bent knees to support the heavy weight of her wounded body.

She coughed.

Droplets of blood stained the ground.

To say she was on the verge of falling unconscious would be an understatement. However, the corner of her lips stretched into a grin of triumph, and as adrenaline started to wear off, she stared straight ahead. Her orange gaze gleamed in utter satisfaction, prideful and enthusiastic.

It didn't matter the price, it didn't matter that she was about to drop dead out of exhaustion.

She had awakened her bloodline.

Nothing else mattered.

She had succeeded.

Some feet away, an astonished Maki regarded her brunette friend and the destroyed scenery before her, mouth agape. The kunai she was holding dropped to the ground, before she rushed towards Rei as she suddenly staggered on her feet and fell on her butt.

"Are you alright?" she asked, concern evident in her voice, quickly crouching down to her level.

A weak chuckle escaped Rei, who sent her a small smile and said, "Peachy." Then, she fell backwards ungracefully. Alarmed, Maki was about to reach out to her, when the girl let out a deep breath and mumbled, "Let's just rest for a bit, though."

Suppressing an amused smile, Maki sat down next to her and warily eyed the disturbing field spread in front them. As though cut down without a care, fallen trees laid around; some of them far enough for her not to see. Splinters of all sizes decorated the ground, whose previously green color had faded into the brownish shade of the dirt that normally hid beneath. It was, to be honest, a scary sight.

It was the result of hours of constant practice. Truthfully, the fact that the girl had been at it through the whole night without taking a single break –and, not even once, had she dropped unconscious– shocked Maki to no end. And, if she was completely honest with herself, it also terrified her.

Upon catching a glimpse of her relaxed face as she glanced at Rei, she was suddenly hit by a wave of comforting realization.

They were both on the same team.

She let out a relieved breath.

Because, in spite of their friendship, Rei Koizumi wasn't someone she'd be eager to fight.

-#-

An unsettling silence invaded the rather-small room; inquisitive glances were shared between the Jõnin inside as to figure out if any of them knew the reason behind the sudden, unexpected gathering. But no one had the slightest idea, and so, they eventually turned their attention to the old man who sat before the lot of them.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the actual Hokage, smoke from his big pipe as he regarded his subordinates with expressionless eyes. For some long minutes, he remained quiet and merely observed them, seemingly pondering something. And then, his pipe was placed on the floor by his knees, and he sighed heavily.

"There is a very important reason why I've called for you," he began, voice low. "I trust, therefore, that what is about to be revealed in this meeting won't leave this room. I do not find it necessary to insist on keeping this private, for as ninjas of Konoha, you are to fight for this village and do whatever is required to protect it."

A man in his late twenties stepped forward, bowed slightly and voiced firmly, "Many years ago, we swore upon our lives to do so. On behalf of my comrades and myself, I assure you that promise won't be broken."

The old man allowed himself to smile, amused yet grateful.

"Thank you, Kakashi." He stood up then and, after taking a gander at the determined expressions plastered on their faces, nodded to himself. "As you are aware of, several of the most dangerous S-rank criminals gathered into an organization some years ago."

"Of course we do," Asuma Sarutobi, his son, spoke gravely. "One of those rats was once a respectable Shinobi of Konoha."

"As one of the greatest nations, Konoha has always been alert to any possible assault," the Hokage continued, ignoring the interruption with a rasped cough. "And even though we've never been directly attacked by them, we must be extremely cautious from now on. Word got out that they may have taken a special interest to this village, and the Chunin Exams are –without a doubt– the best scenery for them to approach."

Concern, suspicion and irritation crossed the faces of those who were present.

"Excuse my skepticism, but how can we be certain this rumor is true?" Kakashi asked, his only visible eye slightly narrowed.

"We can't, and I'm afraid I cannot say much more about it. However, it's safe to think this…" he paused and frowned, "…rumor –as you say– is closer to being true than expected." He sighed and glanced out the huge window behind. The village, glorious and ebullient, looked back at him. "Truth is, it's very conceivable they are already here."

A gasp was heard before a woman with dark, long hair and bright, red eyes spoke up.

"How is that even possible, though? Ever since the arrival of the exam's participants, there have been ANBU guarding every access to the village," she exclaimed, bewildered.

Asuma clasped a hand on her shoulder, both to soothe and silence her so the Hokage could continue explaining the facts.

"We're talking about S-rank criminals who have been wandering around –killing, robbing and committing every despicable atrocity you can think of– without being seen for years, no matter how many lands looked for them, Kurenai," he mentioned, to which his father nodded.

"Which is why this must remain a secret. It wouldn't be wise to let them know," he said in a low whisper, and his tired eyes momentarily glanced at the carefree people who walked down the streets below before drifting up again. "We can't allow chaos and panic to rise; they would take advantage of that. As a precaution until the threat is dealt with, I am asking you to take extreme precautions and keep a keen eye on your respective teams."

"Hokage-sama, do you know the reason why they've taken this sudden interest in our village?" Maito Gai asked after some seconds of tensed silence. Just by one glance at him, it became evident which Genin he trained –what with his close-fitting, green jumpsuit and shiny bowl-style haircut.

Hiruzen sighed and clasped his hands behind his back.

"It's not our village what has caught their interest, but someone residing in it," he revealed in what seemed to be a troubled voice.

Surprised eyes looked back at him, yet no one spoke a word.

"Sasuke Uchiha," muttered Kakashi behind his mask, but fell silent as the old man shook his head no with apprehension.

 _Not even close._

"Sasuke has his own enemies, of which he himself is the worst," he commented sourly and announced, " _Akatsuki_ is tracking someone else; someone who is unaware of their real past and should be kept in the dark until said otherwise."

Knowing glances were shared between Kakashi and Maito, but no one voiced their thoughts and suspicions.

The meeting concluded after one last advice from the Hokage, and then the Jõnin started to leave the room to resume their previous tasks.

"Kakashi." The gray-haired man stopped hastily and turned towards Hiruzen, who waved him over. "Join me for a cup of tea."

-#-

"I have to admit that –even though this village sucks as hell– the food is not that bad."

Temari rolled her eyes at her brother as the boy began munching disgustingly, her face contorted into a grimace of revulsion. After a long night, through which they hadn't been bothered by Gaara –who probably had spent it sitting on the roof of the motel in the single company of his terrifying shadow–, both siblings had decided to take a walk around the village. At first, their purpose had been to become acquaintance with it and, hopefully, encountering some of their supposed-to-be adversaries in the exams.

In other words, they wanted to spy on them.

Nevertheless, they had made the mistake of running into a food stand. The change in Kankurõ's priorities had been immediate, and Temari could only huff in annoyance as they began to aimlessly wander through the crowded streets.

Catching a glimpse of the blonde's irritated expression; Kankurõ swallowed and waved a hand in the air.

"I don't think we'll find someone strong in this place, so stop worrying over this."

He received a glare in return.

"I'm not worried, idiot," she argued, scowling ever so slightly. "I'm bored out of my mind."

"You could always play shogi, or torture some stupid kid; I'm sure there are lots of them here," he commented, then yelped as he earned himself a kick in the sin. "Hey, watch what you're doing, crazy woman! If you make me drop my f–"

With a soft sound, the rest of his meal crashed against the dirty ground. His eyes widened in stupor, before they narrowed into slits. Painfully slow, he turned around to face the one who had slammed into his back, and consequently, had thrown his delicious food out of his hands.

An idiot-looking boy stared back at him with furious eyes.

"Hey, whatcha doing in the middle of the street, you –" he stopped suddenly, and his angry expression hastily faded into one of mocking amusement.

The boy covered his mouth with his hands, and as muffled chuckles began to escape him, Kankurõ quirked an eyebrow. He was beyond infuriated, and the more he glared at the blond, the more he seemed to amuse the little shit, thus leading him to laugh even harder.

"What is it?" the puppeteer growled, tightening his hands into fists and ready to punch the hell out of him. "Oi, you're asking for a beating, brat."

Naruto waved a hand in the air carelessly, not faced in the least.

"Yeah, yeah. You see, I used to paint the faces of a lot of people when I was a kid," he confessed, and Kankurõ's gaze hardened even more when he started to snigger again. "But I don't remember painting yours!"

A vein plopped on his forehead.

Temari stifled a snicker.

"Naruto!" a girl with _annoying_ pink hair gasped, before she punched the blond on the back of his head.

"But, Sakura-chan, have you seen his face?!" he whined momentarily, the looked back at Kankurõ and cracked up scandalously. "He looks – like a clown!"

 _I'm done with these rats_.

-#-

The sun was shining high in the bluest sky by the time the two girls decided to head back to the village, take a walk through its usually-crowded streets and leave the training fields behind for someone else to clean their mess. With sluggish steps, and careful not to run into someone –which was not that easy to avoid, to be honest–, they worked their way between the multitude. At that time of the day, the warm breeze of the morning roamed the main roads of Konoha, carrying the delectable scent of roasted pork and sweet melon breads and permeating them in it.

"Rei, why on Earth are we heading Ichiraku's?" Maki asked as soon as she realized where her friend was leading her, a frown already formed on her forehead.

Rei glanced at her from the corner of her eye and smiled in amusement at the sight of her pained expression. The fact that Maki hated ramen so much seemed to be enough to make her loathe that place too, and Rei couldn't help but find the fact extremely funny.

"I was hoping to see Naruto there," she confessed, and then, pursed her lips in thought. "I don't know if he's back, though."

At that, Maki arched an eyebrow, partly shocked.

"He is. His team arrived yesterday," she revealed, to which Rei hummed in wonder. "I thought you knew, but then again, I'm not surprised you don't."

Rei narrowed her eyes to glare at her, before she sighed in dismay and shook her head.

"So, how did you find out? You haven't left my side since last night."

"Actually," Maki drawled, causing the brunette to quickly turn to her, "Tenten dropped by when you were training. She told me that Lee told her that he had overheard Gai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei talking about something _really_ shocking." She paused dramatically, muttered something under her breath, and continued, "Anyway, the thing is Sasuke has awakened his Sharingan."

Not expecting such revelation, Rei could only gape at her –which Maki misunderstood for confusion.

"Please, tell me you _know_ who Sasuke is," she almost begged, pouting ever so slightly. "I used to hang out with him when we were younger."

Rei chortled mockingly.

"If you call being classmates 'hanging out', then sure, we all used to hang out with him," she joked with a light chuckle, but shut up when Maki sent her one of her famous glares.

"You didn't, because you always preferred skipping class with Naruto."

"Whatever." Rei rolled her eyes, knowing better than to discuss her unconditional love for the Uchiha boy, and then commented thoughtfully, "It is an interesting fact, though. But, I guess it was a matter of time that he awakened his Sharingan."

Maki put her hands behind her head as she walked and nodded.

"He's certainly a strong adversary," she granted. "I wonder just how many powerful Shinobi we'll face in the –"

The words died in her throat as something yellow flew before them and crashed into one of the wooden walls the surrounded the passageway. Naruto Uzumaki growled in anger before pushing himself to his feet, not once sparing them a glance; his narrowed eyes were focused on something at the other side of the street.

"I'm gonna kill you, clown face!" he shouted before rushing towards…

 _Kankurõ_.

-#-

A mischievous grin was stretched across his mouth as he watched the blond run at him, fist already formed at his side. But, he didn't even need to move from his spot; he merely turned his head sideways to avoid his futile attack.

"You're a joke, kid." He laughed before grabbing the huge bundle attached to his back and placing it next to him. "But you asked for it."

Beside him, Temari sighed exasperatedly while shaking her head in disappointment.

"Are you really willing to take this that far?" She crossed her arms over her chest but didn't do anything to stop his idiotic brother.

"These kids need to be shown their place," he rumbled, all traces of amusement gone.

He was about to unwrap his deadly weapon, when a monotonous voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"I don't recommend you to do that."

And suddenly, he wasn't facing Naruto's snarl anymore.

Calm, orange eyes stared at him in a way that almost caused Kankurõ to take a step back. There was something too familiar in them as she stared at him; for a brief moment, he felt a slight shiver run down his spine.

 _How did she get here so fast?_

"It is against the rules of the exams," she said calmly, as if she were talking to an eight-year-old. "We wouldn't want _you_ to get disqualified, would we?"

There it was again: the hidden threat in her words. Temari watched her with narrowed eyes, surveying her, while Kankurõ took his time to recover from the shock.

Naruto, on the other hand, frowned angrily and pointed an accusative finger at the back of the brunette.

"Rei, you're in the way!"

He was soon scolded by Sakura, who hit him again for good measure. The girl glanced at the curious scene and mysterious ninja afterwards, as if Naruto wasn't next to her whining like a miserable cat.

Rei stared fiercely at her childhood friends, and realization finally washed over her like gelid water. That friendship she had been wondering about for hours was but a false hope, a selfish thought that had been following for years. Now, as the hard gaze of Temari clashed with hers, she found her blood boiling with burning anticipation.

She _did_ want them to be her adversaries in the Chunin Exams.

"Rei!"

Maki ran towards them and stopped in front of the Suna siblings, just beside the brunette. She didn't speak a word, for she wasn't even acknowledged by them, and simply stood there; observing the situation with keen eyes. The tension was so thick it was almost hard to breathe properly.

"We were just talking," Rei commented coolly. "But we're done."

A whirlwind of emotions flowed through her as she received the icy glare of her once best friend.

Nostalgia.

Anger.

Excitement.

God, was she _eager_ for the Chunin Exams to start.

-#-

Hidden in the shadows provided by the branches of the tree he was perched on, a young man examined the situation taking place some feet away from his spot. The minute he found the person he had been looking for, a smirk of triumph tugged at his lips.

Taking the mouthpiece within his fingers, he spoke quietly,

"Target found."

However, the prideful grin promptly turned into a vexed scowl.

" _Took you long enough_ ," the monotonous voice of his partner came through his earpiece. " _You know how much I hate to be kept waiting_."

The young man clicked his tongue in annoyance.

" _I don't understand why Leader-sama puts so much faith in a sixteen-year-old boy_ ," they muttered.

He grunted, close to losing his composure _again_.

"Anyway, I'll keep an eye on her."

" _Don't get attached."_

"As if," he scoffed. "I'll see you later, _danna_."

He received no answer, as expected. Taking the mouthpiece away, the criminal turned around – and stopped dead in his tracks. A boy with dark red hair was hanging upside down from the branch above. His arms were loosely crossed over his chest, and he carried a heavy gourd on his back.

The young man's blue gaze widened considerably.

 _How have I not noticed him? Better yet, how long has he been there?_

Without a warning, aquamarine eyes glanced at him, cold as stone.

However, before the threatening sand that was approaching him could touch his face, he was gone.

Gaara stared at the vacant area for a brief moment before turning back towards the passageway, in which his siblings were still facing a group of Konoha nins.

Upon catching sight of a familiar face, his eyes narrowed.


	5. V: Shukaku

CHAPTER FIVE:

"A true friend's silence hurts more than an enemy's rough words."

* * *

"This is where your part of the contract begins."

He, whose face was contorted into an expression of determination, nodded vehemently.

"Just remember," the intimidating person continued lowly, yet firmly, "your life is a mere instrument to reach _our_ goal. You answer to me, and to no one else. If I say _die_ –"

"Then I shall die," he finished as he looked up –into those familiar, yet so different from the ones he had grown so fond of, orange eyes. "Unless..."

They pursed their lips into a snarl, but nodded shortly afterwards. No more words were exchanged.

It was time.

-#-

The day had finally come; the day every genin had been waiting for. And, to welcome that anticipated morning, the sun was shining bright in the bluest sky. The breeze blew softly, and the birds chirped animatedly. Konoha was ready for the Chunin Exams to start.

Her insides churned in excitement as Rei waved goodbye to Nozomi Hashiri and walked out, accompanied by the not-so-enthusiastic daughter of the medic nin. Upon catching a glimpse of her furrowed features, Rei sighed exasperatedly. Ever since their encounter with the Suna siblings, Maki had been in a gloomy mood; almost as though she were mourning the loss of a friend. Realization had taken its toll on her –as did on Rei–, leaving her in an annoying state of devastation and sorrow.

As they made their way to the building where the Chunin Exams were being held, neither of them spoke. Thus why, by the time they reached their destination, Rei was on the verge of clawing away at her own face out of aggravation.

Fortunately, Kazuo was already there, and so, she soon forgot about the mental state in which her good friend was and quickly jogged up to join him, leaving Maki behind. What took her by surprise was that he wasn't alone. And she had to double-check to make sure her eyes were betraying her.

Team 7 was with him.

 _They haven't changed at all_ , was the first thought that crossed her mind the minute she saw the three genin.

Just like she –and her comrades– had grown used to, Naruto and Sasuke seemed to be in the middle of yet another argument; but, as expected, it was the blonde's voice what was heard over everything else. His features were furrowed into a furious scowl, and he kept shouting nonsenses while pointing accusatively –because it wouldn't be Naruto if he didn't do that– at the Uchiha boy, whose lips were turned into a smug smirk. Lastly but never forgotten –much to Rei's dismay–Sakura was standing between them, vainly attempting to both make Naruto stop and Sasuke notice her.

Without much more than an unimpressed glance, Rei approached Kazuo and rolled her eyes as Maki walked over to the other team instead.

"What is she doing?" the boy asked, curious as to why the girl would be interested in getting in the middle of such pointless argument.

Rei merely crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head apprehensively.

"Making a fool out of herself," she replied as she observed the situation unfold with bored eyes, and then muttered under her breath, "Although I'd bet this is what she calls _hanging out with Sasuke_."

If asked, Rei wouldn't know which version of Maki irritated her most; the depressed girl with mental issues, or the obsessive fanatic with difficulties to think straight. A short laugh escaped her though, when Sasuke gave some kind of short reply to Maki and the face of Sakura turned red in utter rage.

 _Damn, I think I'd be able to smell the jealousy even from Suna._

"Haruno is fuming," Kazuo suddenly commented, and his eyes kept watching them like they were performing a great number. "And Uchiha has said something to Uzumaki, and now he's yelling even louder. Damn –sorry–, but someone should separate those two before someone gets hurt."

As if on cue, the doors to the building they'd been standing in front of slid open, and an irked-looking woman stepped out. Kazuo's reaction was immediate, and it didn't take a genius to know their sensei scared the timid boy out of his twits.

"H-hi, Tora-sensei!" he squeaked and _bowed_.

Unable to contain herself, Rei shot him an annoyed glance, but other than that, she remained quiet and waited for the woman to put some order.

"Hashiri, stop flirting and come over here!" she shouted from beside Rei. "The rest of you _kids_ … just don't make me waste my time any more than you already have. I am certain your loud voices have given enough headaches already."

While her words were sufficient to make the two idiots stop bitching out, they weren't as threatening as Kazuo found them to be.

"Who is the bossy woman?"

Upon hearing Naruto's not-so-whispered question, Rei couldn't help but give out a groan of utter exasperation. He was too heedless for his own good; that was for sure. Nevertheless, before Tora could tear the oblivious boy to pieces, a silver-haired man appeared in a puff of white smoke.

Taken aback by his sudden appearance, Rei startled. There was no need for him to introduce himself, for she already knew who he was; how could she not? Naruto had been verbally trashing him for weeks.

"Tora," Kakashi acknowledged while ignoring the blonde's muffled demands to pull his hand away from his mouth. "How convenient to find you here. I was just wondering where you could be _hiding_ in."

Whether his words had a secret meaning or not, Rei couldn't tell. However, by the way Tora's features hardened and her mouth formed a thin line; she ventured to think they had.

"You see, we were having a tea and I suddenly became aware of your absence," he commented casually, albeit his only visible eye was firmly fixed on the woman, almost scrutinizing. "But then I remembered the Hokage was waiting on you for an _arrangement_. Such a shame you couldn't join us." The mask that covered the lower half of his face scrunched slightly, giving away the impression he was smiling. "I hope the both of you had a nice evening."

Neither of the Genin dared to speak a word as the two adults surveyed one another with unexpressive eyes. They feared the consequences of breaking such tense silence.

"We certainly did," Tora finally said. "Make sure to let me know when you and… your _friends_ are meeting again. I would not want to miss it."

For the first time since the Jõnin had arrived, Rei caught a quick glimpse of exacerbation on his face. But she could have imagined it, as it was gone the following second and a close-eyed smile replaced it.

"That would be a misfortune, indeed. Well, I'm taking my _loud_ team inside," he announced after a brief moment of hesitation, and his hand left Naruto's mouth to give his blond head an affectionate pat.

Rei had been so concentrated watching the two Jõnin interact, she almost jumped on the spot when his eye fell upon her. Yet, she held her ground and didn't let his nerve-racking stare intimidate her. After some seconds, he smiled.

"I wish you all good luck."

-#-

The inside of the building was drowned into a silence of expectance, and they didn't run into anyone as Team 6 followed Tora down a large corridor. She hadn't mentioned the strange encounter with Kakashi, and neither of the Genin thought it to be appropriated to ask about it. Her face was expressionless, yet her brown eyes gave away the impression she was lost in thought. From time to time, she would click her tongue in annoyance.

To be honest, Rei didn't care about what could be going on inside her head. It was the least of her thoughts at the moment, as every step she took lead her closer to fulfilling her dream. Fortunately, Maki hadn't gone back to her insufferably gloomy mood.

A satisfied smile tugged on her lips upon seeing the calm, yet determined expression on the face of her friend.

 _It's about time_.

"This is where I leave you." Tora suddenly halted in front of a closed door, turned towards them and placed her hands on her hips. For some seconds, she eyed the three Genin with scrutinizing eyes, and then sighed. "If you're expecting some kind of motivating speech, you're going to be disappointed. Behind these doors –" she shook her head towards them "– a room full of strong adversaries awaits you. They might not look like it, but don't judge them by their appearance. Remember what you've learned throughout the past few weeks, and you'll be fine." She paused, pursed her lips in thought and repentantly grinned evilly. "Also, if you can avoid it, don't die."

As the unnerving woman disappeared down the same corridor, Rei rolled her eyes.

"Well, that was inspiring," she muttered sarcastically, to which Maki merely gave a casual shrug.

"I shouldn't be surprised by now..."

"…and yet, I am," finished Kazuo with a shake of his head.

"Whatever," Rei spoke after some seconds, and she turned away from the long passage to face the oddly-intimidating doors. "Let's get this over with."

-#-

Sand grazed the floor as he moved soundlessly down a large corridor. His older siblings followed him quietly, purposely keeping a cautious distance from the dangerous boy. Never did he ask for instructions –which had been explained as detailed as possible by their _sensei_ some minutes ago– as Gaara made his way through the seemingly-empty building. There was no need for that; his sand was the best tracker when it came to hunting down powerful chakra.

Inside his stony heart, a demonical beast growled in hunger and anticipation. As soon as he had entered the place, it had smelled the delicious scent of power and blood. Some would think it was a metaphor when he was described as a monster; but truth be told, there was literally a demon residing inside his body, waiting for the right moment to be brought back to the real world.

His feet stopped suddenly, and he looked to his left just in time to see a blond woman approaching them. She was calmly walking towards where he –and his siblings– stood, a troubled expression painted on her face. However, upon seeing him, her brown eyes widened considerably. But the shock left her features as soon as it had come, and a wicked grin promptly stretched on her lips instead.

His eyes narrowed slightly as the mysterious woman walked past them, her face neutral once again; as if nothing had happened.

"Gaara?" Temari dared to break the silence in which they had grown used to live ever since they had teamed up with the redhead.

But said boy didn't acknowledge her and merely started to walk again. A pair of doors stood at the end of the long corridor, and the beast inside him seethed in impatience. Not bothering to move a single finger, Gaara commanded his sand to push the doors open and calmly stepped into the quiet room.

The whispered conversation taking place inside came to a stop at once, and every pair of eyes turned towards the newcomers. Unfazed by the attention, Gaara let his gaze roam the faces of those who were sitting on the several tables scattered around. Soon, he was met with every kind of possible reaction. But only one managed to stir his hungry soul: fright.

The demon – _Shukaku_ – laughed in delight in his mind.

But then, his aquamarine gaze clashed with a familiar pair of orange eyes. Within those, he saw no fear; not even intrigue. There, shock greeted him. And his first instinct was to tear their owner apart, to make her body break into a million pieces and paint the ground red with her blood.

However, Gaara turned towards the opposite side of the room and casually took a seat without giving her another glance. His features remained stoical as everyone went back to their previous conversations, eventually forgetting about him –and his siblings.

A simple thought roamed his mind as he waited patiently, arms crossed over his chest.

 _This one we must kill_.


	6. VI: Written Test

CHAPTER SIX:

The Chunin Exams: Part I

* * *

Frozen on the spot, she watched in utter stupor as Gaara walked to the opposite side of the room without sparing her another glance. Many questions roamed her mind at the moment, yet she mentally shook her head and tried to ignore the whirlwind of intense emotions that bubbled inside her.

As time passed by, more and more teams of Genin belonging to different villages walked into the room. She watched them step in with passive eyes, not really caring about them as the blank look she had received minutes ago continued to her mind. Not even when one of them approached her team, did she pay any attention.

Fortunately, Maki was still there; and she took care of the intruder and her friend got lost into her own thoughts.

Mustering as many courage as she could, Rei let her gaze wander towards his indifferent face as he sat far from her. As if feeling it, his head titled slightly and slowly turned to meet her confused –almost lost– expression. His eyes narrowed into a deadly glare, and the unspoken words hidden in it shook her like a wave of gelid water.

 _I'll kill you._

Like a deer caught in the headlights, Rei quickly looked away. A frown was plastered on her forehead, and she pursed her lips in thought.

"…seems a bit out of it," an unfamiliar voice spoke from the distance.

After long minutes of thinking to no avail, Rei huffed in defeat. For the umpteenth time, she glanced over at the redhead, but he wasn't paying attention to her anymore. Her eyes scanned his emotionless features briefly before glancing at his companions.

Her lips formed a thin line.

 _You want it to be this way? Fine by me._

She yelped as an elbow suddenly hit her on her stomach, and she sharply turned towards Maki.

"What?" she snapped as she rubbed the spot where she had been hit.

Maki rolled her eyes, but didn't comment on her odd behavior and merely pointed towards something in front of her. Following her gaze, she suddenly found herself looking into pair of blue eyes. They were observing her closely, almost as though they were trying to figure her out. Their owner, a boy her age with light blond hair and a headband with the symbol of Iwagakure – hidden village in the land of Earth – tied around his forehead, grinned mischievously.

"Aren't you a piece of art?"

Rei blinked.

"Are you an idiot?" she asked slowly. Before he could retort, she moved her head away from her and snarled at him, "Get out of my face."

His whole demeanor changed drastically within seconds; his grin vanished, his jaw clenched and his eyes blazed in fury. However, she didn't back out and simply arched an eyebrow in expectation.

He was about to speak, but the girl swiftly turned around on her seat, obviously intending to ignore his presence. Next to her, Maki snickered, but quickly shut up as the infuriated glare of the Iwagakure nin fell upon her.

Fortunately, there was a soft _puff_ , and a bunch of Jõnin appeared out of thin air. Immediately, silence washed over them.

"My name is Ibiki Morino, and I'll be in charge of examining you morons during the first stage of the exams!" one of the exclaimed, effectively capturing the attention of everyone in the room. A blue bandana covered his head, and huge scars decorated his face. A sadistic smile tugged at his lips as he surveyed the participants, before he added, "Welcome to Hell."

-#-

A written test. The – oh so frightening – first stage that started the Chunin Exams was something as seemingly ordinary as a written test.

Her lips pursed in thought at the revelation, and Rei was certain there was something tricky in that. She doubted it would be as easy as everyone surrounding her seemed to believe.

The supervisors had already distributed the participants around the spacious room, organizing them so as to be able to keep a keen eye on all of them without complications. Only Ibiki remained still on the same spot, standing before the lot of Genin and observing their expressions as he explained the rules.

Drifting her attention from the tall man, Rei furtively glanced around. By the faces of most participants, they were not pleased to hear about the written test; scowls met her eye everywhere she looked at. Some others regarded the Jõnin – sitting at either side of the room – with distrust, almost challengingly.

"If you're caught cheating, you and your team will be disqualified," Ibiki was saying.

To be honest, Rei heard him like she was listening to a recorder; distant and disinterested. Thus why, only a few sentences managed to slip in her mind.

"You'll have three opportunities; no more, no less…"

Rei returned her gaze to the piece of paper which lay on the desk, between her hands; yet no single letter looked back at her. _Genjutsu_ , she ventured to guess.

"I'm warning you now; you're compelled to obtain a mark higher than 0 to pass the exam," Ibiki stated. "This means that if any of your teammates doesn't… the whole team will fail."

A _thud_ echoed in the room, effectively causing Rei to jump on her seat. Quickly, she snapped her gaze towards the blonde boy sitting some tables ahead of her. Whining like an injured cat, Naruto gripped his head – which he had slammed against the wooden desk – with his hands. Biting her lip to hide her amused smile, Rei could only picture his situation were him to fail the test – which wasn't that odd to imagine. Although he strained himself physically, Naruto wasn't known for his cleverness. Rei was certain he was feeling the judging glares of his teammates burning holes in his head; and she didn't need to look for them to make sure of it.

"And to think I'm stuck here," a much lighter voice interrupted her trail of thoughts, one _very_ familiar and _very_ irritated. "A fucking written test, none the less. Wait till he – what?!"

Light blue eyes turned towards her, aggravated, catching her off guard. Playing it off, Rei huffed and avoided the inquisitive stare of the Iwagakure nin.

"What's up, pretty eyes?" he challenged, a mocking edge in his voice, as he smirked. Upon receiving no answer – other than a roll of eyes –; he narrowed his eyes momentarily, before they twinkled in amusement. "I don't think I've introduced myself. Name's Ryu; just Ryu."

"Pleasure to meet you, _just_ Ryu," Rei replied after some seconds, earning herself a glare from the boy, and then added, "I think."

Before he could open his mouth though, Ibiki clapped his hands and she turned back towards him. Grinning maniacally, he voiced,

"Begin!"

Within the following twenty minutes, Rei did nothing but read the questions over and over again. Her eyes were glued on the paper, and her hands gripped it almost too tightly. But the more she went over the lines, the less sense they had. So far, she knew she would only be able to figure out the answer to the first question.

 _There's no way any of us has the level required to solve this_.

Defeated before she had even started writing, Rei placed the pen on the table and leaned her chin upon her hand. Ahead of her, she could see Naruto quickly losing his composure while trying to – possibly – find a way to get out of that room without being murdered. She knew how much importance the exam held to him, just as much as it did to her. They both dreamed so big, and thus, time was valuable and ran quick as lightening.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the person sitting next to her blond friend. Her short, purple hair bounced ever so slightly as she wrote down on the paper calmly.

Hinata Hyuga.

Honestly, Rei was fonder of her older brother; as he shared team with Rock Lee and Tenten. He was also easier to have a conversation with, if only one knew how to ignore his arrogance and self-admiration. Hinata was quite his opposite; what with her shyness and inability to form a coherent sentence without stuttering madly. She was also way weaker when it came to fighting skills, but to be honest, Rei didn't think there were a lot of Genin that'd be able to compete with the Hyuga prodigy evenly; he was a genius, to say the least.

While Rei acknowledged Hinata's good nature, that didn't stop her from growing aggravated more times than few.

However, a pang of envy clenched her heart as she became aware of the situation with the Hyuga heiress. She was evidently cleverer than Rei had ever expected; the reason was – most likely – that Sakura always ranked first in intellectual trials, thus leaving Hinata in the shadows.

Now, as Rei glared at the girl from behind, she could only wish she could read minds.

Her eyes widened as realization washed over her, and the hand that had been supporting her head fell flatly against the desk.

 _"_ _You'll just have three opportunities…"_

Three opportunities… to do _what_? She replayed the few sentences she had gotten from Ibiki's explanation, suddenly feeling incredibly stupid to believe herself confident enough to not pay attention – which she happened to do more frequently than she'd liked to admit.

 _"_ _If you're caught cheating, you and your team will be disqualified."_

Fortunately, she had listened enough to get an idea of what was expected from the Genin; to understand the hidden meaning in that written test. And consequently, a smirk of triumph formed on her lips.

She had three opportunities… to cheat without being caught.

They expected her to prove her ninja skills when it came to stealth, to be witty as to find a way to cheat and not be seen by their keen eyes.

She could do that, for there was nothing more furtive than wind itself.

Taking a deep breath, she placed two fingers before her mouth and began to accumulate chakra. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she concentrated in letting part of her chakra slip into the waiting hands of the wild air – which surrounded her frame patiently, yet eagerly.

Then, she activated her Kekkei Genkai.

 _Seigyo._

Almost instantly, the temperature dropped and a gelid breeze enveloped the room. Her eyes – whose orange color had intensified and invaded her pupils until they disappeared, leaving nothing but a black line that seemed to cut the iris from left to right like a lightening – drifted towards her victim. As Hinata Hyuga wrapped her jacket tighter around her, Rei took her pen between two fingers and let the wind do the rest.

-#-

The boy, Ryu, observed quietly as the pen moved along the paper swiftly, almost on its own. Her fingers were lightly curled around it, yet the movements of her hand seemed too queer; like she wasn't the one in control.

Unable to hide his sudden interest, he regarded her closer. She was unaware of his stare; that much was evident, for she was too concentrated on watching the girl with the purple hair. He hummed, and arched an eyebrow afterwards as Rei suddenly frowned and dropped the pen.

As though something was getting into her eyes, she waved a hand before her face. And, while she was distracted trying to get rid of whatever that was annoying her, sand began to accumulate in front of her until an eye appeared out of it.

Someone was cheating off of her without her noticing.

He shook his head in disappointment; to think he had found himself interested in that girl's abilities. It had only but last a second, sadly. He didn't think his leader would be pleased to know about her lack of skill.

 _Thump_.

He nearly jumped out of his skin as Rei slammed her hand on her desk. Many eyes fell upon her, and a sheepish smile broke on her face.

"There was a fly," she explained apologetically as she looked up at Ibiki, who seemed way too shocked to speak a word.

 _It's probably her eyes_ , Ryu dared to bet. _He most likely didn't expect her to be able to awake the Seigyo just yet._

Truth be told, he wouldn't have either had he not watched her practicing non-stop during the last couple of days. At last, Ibiki shook his head and everyone went back to their exams, quickly forgetting about the unexpected interruption.

"You've got some nerve, Gaara," he heard her mutter under her breath, her voice dripped in annoyance. Then, she lifted her hand from the wooden surface and waved a hand over it to dissipate the remains of sand.

He chuckled quietly, amused, before leaning back and sighing heavily. He could only hope the second stage of the exams would be more entertaining.

* * *

Notes:

 **1\. Genjutsu** : ( _Literally meaning:_ Illusionary Techniques) is one of the main jutsu categories which uses chakra. Unlike ninjutsu, the effects of genjutsu are not real, being only illusions experienced by those who fall victim to it. A genjutsu is created when a ninja controls the chakra flow of a target's cerebral nervous system, thereby affecting their five senses. This is frequently used to create false images and/or trick the body into believing its has experienced physical pain. Genjutsu can also be used to manipulate others - similar to brainwashing - by feeding the victim illusive suggestions. Most genjutsu is performed visually, requiring the target make eye contact with the caster.

 **2\. Kekkei Genkai** : ( _Literally meaning:_ Bloodline Limit) are abilities passed down genetically within specific clans. It's possible for a shinobi to have more than one of these abilities. Kekkei Genkai abilities that work via the user's eye are called **dōjutsu** (which is what Rei possesses); while the user's eyes can be overused and dōjutsu can be prevented from being accessed for a period of time, it doesn't mean the user will be exhausted and they can still use other techniques.


	7. VII: The Forest of Death

CHAPTER SEVEN:

The Forest of Death

* * *

The first stage of the Chunin Exams was finally over, and by the time the clock stopped counting, every Genin team that was left in the classroom –every team that wasn't caught cheating– passed, thus allowing them to move on to the second stage. After what seemed hours, those angered by the real meaning of the written text halted their complaints and the teams were finally able to make their way out of the building.

Then, they were led to the place where their survival skills would be tested.

Rock Lee emitted an almost inhuman roar and threw a punch in the air, earning himself annoyed glances from his comrades. Noticing this, the odd-looking boy pouted.

"What's wrong with you, guys? We're one step closer to our goals! You should be more eager and youthful!" And, as he punched the air with both fists, he let out yet another war cry.

Tenten sighed, but didn't try to calm him down and smiled slightly instead. However, her other teammate decided against following her example.

With crossed arms and emotionless eyes, Neji Hyūga scoffed and said,

"Stop being so loud all the time."

Lee halted his movements and turned towards the prodigy with a scowl.

"Your lack of enthusiasm bothers me, Neji," he complained.

"Shinobi who are destined to accomplish greater things than a written test cannot feel _enthusiastic_ that easily," he commented, lips turned into his signature smirk of arrogance. "Of course, you wouldn't understand."

Tenten muttered a curse and pinched her nose in exasperation; she had long since stopped trying to ease the relationship between her teammates, but it truly got on her nerves whenever Neji succeeded in provoking Lee.

"Now, that was very rude of you," a feminine voice caught their attention, leading it to the short girl that had approached them without them noticing.

"Rei!" Tenten exclaimed in delight, a huge grin already on her face; she knew the appearance of the Koizumi girl would be enough to distract her teammates from starting an argument.

The brunette acknowledged her before giving the two boys a bored stare.

"Will you ever get along?" she asked with a roll of eyes, not expecting an answer as she turned towards Tenten and smiled. "Glad to see you've passed. It doesn't surprise me, though."

The older girl returned the gesture and placed her hands on her hips.

"I can say the same," she said, to which Rei smirked knowingly.

"Yes. Maki already told me how you spied on me when I was training."

Embarrassed, Tenten scratched the back of her head.

"Sorry about that. I was looking for some quiet place to train myself."

Rei shook her head.

"It doesn't matter, really."

A shout claimed their attention, and they looked over to the purple-haired woman who was standing with a mischievous grin some feet away from them. "Alright, maggots, bring your asses over here so we can start!"

After Rei wished them good luck, she met with her teammates, and the three of them joined the rest of the teams in front of Anko –the monitor in charge of the second stage of the Chunin Exams. Unbeknownst to her, the intense, calculating stare of the Hyūga prodigy had followed her ever since she had approached them. He only snapped out of his trance when the voice of his female comrade called him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, confused as to why he was acting that way.

Neji narrowed his eyes on the short girl once more, bloodline activated.

"Her chakra is," he stated.

Lee, almost forgotten, frowned at his words.

"How come?"

"It's… blurry," he revealed, then deactivated his _Byakugan_ and turned to Tenten. "Just how strong is she?"

Remembering the time in which she had observed Rei training, the girl gave a short reply, "Very."

-#-

As the rules were explained, Rei sat down on a large rock and surveyed the scenery with calculating eyes. A wide, dark forest spread itself on the other side of the fence; huge trees seemed to fight over being the closest to the blue sky, which –Rei ventured to think– would be impossible to see from below, what with all the ivies and long branches. The girl could easily picture the inside of those woods: with no light to shine upon them, they would be surrounded by a dangerous darkness and a deadly silence, only shattered when the enemy attacked. The fence itself was high and intimidating.

 _Such a gap between the first and second phase._

The high-pitched voice of her good friend snapped her out of her trail of thoughts, and Rei turned towards her just in time to see Maki placing a blue scroll inside her pouch.

"We got an Earth Scroll," she revealed. "Meaning we will have to fight for a Heaven one."

"And get to the tower right after that," added Kazuo, who had sat down next to Rei.

Maki let out a sigh and dropped to the grass in front of them. "I just hope we don't starve on the way."

"You're going to be surrounded by skilled ninjas trying to kill you for a scroll, and yet here you are, complaining about the lack of food," Kazuo chuckled.

"It would be the worst death registered in the Chunin Exams," the girl retorted, pouting ever so slightly.

Unable to stop herself, Rei rolled her eyes.

"All right, drama queen. Stop Naruto-ing and let's get to the assigned gate."

She was awarded a playful shove.

-#-

The inside of the Forest of Death was as Rei had expected: quiet, dark and oppressive. Her eyes were wide open, alert to any movement that weren't hers, as she jumped from branch to branch. In the tense silence that surrounded them, even the slightest of sounds made her cringe and look around.

Had she been stronger, she would have activated her bloodline, if only to ease her subconscious and not become startled so frequently. But she weren't, and thus wouldn't be wise of her to use her Seigyo so soon. She had yet to master it and get used to its consequences.

However, even without the Seigyo, she was able to feel the changes in the wind.

She halted.

"What is it?" Kazuo stopped shortly behind, and he immediately tensed.

Rei did not answer; she stared straight ahead and pulled out a kunai, instead. And then, her orange eyes widened, and she shouted,

"Down!"

They jumped to the ground below just in time to avoid the explosion. A chuckle echoed within the glade they had stumbled upon, before someone emerged from the shadows provided by the trees.

"That was quite impressive."

Her lips pursed and she sighed.

"Why him?" she asked to no one, her eyebrows narrowed in distress. "Out of all people, why does it have to be _him_?"

Behind her, Maki snorted in an attempt to hide her laughter while Ryu gritted his teeth.

"You damn girl," he growled, hands clenched in fists as he took a step forward.

"He is acting like a stalker, actually," Kazuo commented to Maki, loud enough for everyone else to hear.

"Yeah," the girl agreed. "And he also sat next to her in the first phase."

"Hey!" Ryu exclaimed; his blue eyes sparkled in fury. "I had nothing to do with that. Those so-called Jõnin are the ones to blame, hn."

Maki hummed in agreement, but then frowned.

"You could have bribed them."

"And why would I d–"

"Oi," Rei finally snapped, unable to stand their bickering anymore. "Shut up."

Instead of starting yet another argument, Ryu smirked.

"All right, pretty eyes." He then proceeded to form two clones of himself. "Show me what you've got."

But the girl didn't move, and asked instead, "What about your teammates?"

"I kind of ditched them," he replied with a casual shrug. "Don't need them to beat you to a pulp. Just as you don't need these two to fight me, hn."

And suddenly, his clones took Maki and Kazuo away. Rei regarded the now-vacant place where her comrades had been standing seconds ago, before turning towards the arrogant boy.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded to know, voice low and unamused.

Ryu gave her a smug smile.

"As I said, you don't need them. The sooner you understand that, the better," he said. "But don't worry, they're only facing clones. I'm the real deal."

 _And here I thought it was impossible for someone to surpass Sasuke Uchiha's ego._

"You underestimate them if you think a couple of clones are going to hold them back," she commented. "But it's your funeral."

Conversation over, she launched herself at him.


	8. VIII: Akatsuki

**CHAPTER EIGHT:**

 _Akatsuki_

Rei jumped back just in time to avoid a powerful kick that would've sent her crashing into a tree. She wiped the trail of blood that fell from her mouth with the back of her hand and frowned in thought, her eyes on Ryu.

Within the past minutes, they had only used Taijutsu against one another. Hand-to-hand combat was usually a strong point of hers, but she had yet to land a hit on him. It was something hard to comprehend; considering she was increasing her speed by the second, and he still managed to avoid each of her attempts. She couldn't be certain, but as she took a quick glance down at his feet, she wondered if –maybe– he was using some kind of technique. Rei herself was using the force of the wind to propel her body, moving swiftly and determinately towards his enemy.

However, Ryu had somehow managed to hit her more than once. Then there was the fact that he seemed to do so without really trying; he dodged, the stroke back.

"Oi, you're starting to bore me," he suddenly said; and there was no trace of the playfulness she had gotten used to see on his face.

"So are you," Rei retorted as she straightened. "Or did you think I wouldn't notice?"

Ryu frowned.

"What?"

"You're holding back," she stated. "And I can't give my all when my opponent is taking the fight so lightly."

He smirked smugly.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, pretty eyes," he chuckled at her annoyed expression upon hearing the nickname. "You're no good to us dead, hn."

 _Us?_

"Oops, I said too much. Sasori-danna is going to have my head on a plate if he finds out," he spoke in dismay, yet giving away the impression he could care less about it. He then dropped the smirk. "I know you're capable of way more than that. And even though I don't give a fuck about this… exam, you still need _this._ " He pulled out a white scroll and arched a brow, as though he was challenging her.

Rei kept silent, gave him a sour look and said, "Has no one ever complained about your constant, futile chattering?"

The boy narrowed his blue eyes in indignation as he was reminded of the multiples times his partner had done so, always leading him into arguing even more. _If only she knew_.

"But you're right. I _do_ need that scroll, and you're getting on my nerves."

Her orange eyes changed within a second as she activated her Seigyo, and the wind stopped hastily.

He waited patiently for her to strike, partly wary, partly eager. If he was correct, that would be the first time Rei used the Seigyo in a real battle.

"Ah, I knew it." Suddenly, he was slammed into the tree behind, his cheek smashed under the weight of her fist. "You were using lightening to move faster."

Eyes wide in utter shock, Ryu stared at the girl. She was standing at the same spot she had been seconds before, but he had felt it; the strength in her punch. Had she really moved too fast for him to see?

"You talk as if you've been watching me," she said, fists clenched at her sides. "Then you should know I don't play around."

Laughter bubbled inside him before escaping his body; he laughed and laughed, prey to unfamiliar delight. Ignoring the confused look in her eyes, he ran a hand through his face and grinned maniacally.

"Sorry, sorry," he mocked. "It's just so great to…" – he formed some hand signs, and a wave of electricity emerged from his fingers – "loosen up."

The earth cracked under the lightening, and she cursed.

"Just because I've been watching you, I know what the flaws of that bloodline of yours are," he paused. "It's useless against abstract things, hn!"

Quickly, she propelled herself up and avoided the shook of electricity that flew from the ground below her. While floating in the air with the help of her bloodline, she formed hand sings.

 _Ox. Dog. Ram. Tiger_.

A giant vortex appeared out of nowhere, startling Ryu, and began swirling around him. Its force lifted him from the ground, scratching his skin and zapping him with no mercy. Rei watched the wind wall, then jumped inside, intending to end him.

But she punched the air; there was no trace of the blond boy inside the vortex. Surprised, she glanced around as it slowly vanished. She was sure she had hit him; she had felt it in the wind, the strikes against his flesh.

"That was beautiful, hn." Rei looked up, and her eyes widened at the sight of white birds flying towards her. "But, I will show you what real art is."

Her hands clapped together, and a powerful gale was built in front of her. Sweat formed on her forehead as she threw the wind towards the fake animals. She was starting to feel the side-effects of using the Seigyo for such long period of time, her chakra was slowly fading and her strength was leaving her body.

Suddenly, the birds exploded above her, creating a huge amount of black smoke that obscured her eyesight. Forced to deactivate her bloodline due to exhaustion, she panted and let her guard down.

She realized her mistake way too late.

Ryu chuckled behind her.

"Art is an explosion."

And then, he exploded.

-#-

Her eyes opened slowly, and she blinked to adjust them to the bright light.

"You're awake!" someone exclaimed, causing Rei to wince.

"Don't yell, Kazuo."

The boy gave a sheepish grin and apologized, then started assaulting her with questions about her fight and Ryu.

Much to his dismay, the brunette ignored him and remained lying on the solid ground. There was a thoughtful expression plastered on her dirty features, and her eyebrows were furrowed into a deep frown. She placed an arm over her eyes and sighed, overwhelmed by disturbing emotions and thoughts.

Every hour she had spent training had been put to test during the fight with the strange boy, and its outcome had left both physical and psychological scars. She felt frustrated, angry even.

Then, she remembered the last thing she had seen before being hit by the explosion.

 _Is he really dead, though?_

For some reason, Rei was under the impression the boy had had a hidden intention when he had challenged her to a fight. As much as she hated to admit, she knew he had been playing with her during the whole event.

 _Ryu._

She doubted that was even his real name, but she didn't care about such trivial things at that moment. He had talked a lot, said things she couldn't comprehend.

 _He was messing with your head, and it looks like he's succeeded_ ; she told herself.

Letting out an annoyed grunt, Rei forced herself to sit up and glanced around. Her eyes widened; they were by a river. From her spot, she could see Maki as the girl splashed some water on her face. Kazuo was sitting some feet away, staring off into the distance with an expression that she had never seen on his face; so void of emotions.

A bottle of water was thrown at her, and she caught it mid-air.

"Thanks," she nodded to Maki, who didn't reply. "How long have I been out?"

Her friend crossed her arms over her chest.

"Three days," she revealed, face stoic. "You were lying on the ground, alone and surrounded by fallen trees. You looked on the verge of death, but someone had treated some of your wounds." Upon catching sight of the astonishment reflected on Rei's features, she sighed. "I don't understand it, either. But you would've died had it not been because of them, so let's just think of it as a miracle."

Shaking away her stupor, Rei pointed to Kazuo with her head. "What about him?"

Maki frowned.

"I don't know–those clones… they were very strong, no matter how fake they could be." She pursed her lips. "That fight left me breathless, and then I turn around to find him standing there, leaning against a tree. Said he didn't want to interfere, but look at him –no scratch whatsoever on his body. Do you think he's got something up his sleeve, like a forbidden technique or something? Oh–but you won, right? Ryu was nowhere close–I wanted to kick him in the gut… I hate him a lot. So, what happened to him?"

Rei stared at her with wide eyes, mentally wondering how she was capable of speaking so much in a single breath.

She cleared her throat.

"He exploded."

"Expl–like… _boom_?" Maki puffed her cheeks and threw her arms around, earning herself a laugh from the other girl.

"Yes, just like that."

She hummed while shaking his head.

"He was truly insane."

 _No kidding_.

Rei nodded, but suddenly became aware of something unusual. Her friend had not looked at her ever since she had woken up, not even spared her a glance.

"Maki?" she called; confusion graced her voice, and Maki winced visibly. "What's wrong?"

Finally, the girl caved in and turned to her.

"I'm sorry, Rei," she whispered. "I treated your injuries the best I could, but–"

Her throat closed at that point, and her eyes drifted towards the left side of her face. Unconsciously, Rei reached her hand up towards it, only to grimace as the tip of her fingers touched the skin. It was tender; too tender and sensitive.

She ignored her friend's call and approached the crystal waters, then glanced at the surface. Her face reflected on it, and her heart gave a loud _thump_ when she caught a glimpse at that left side Maki seemed to be making a fuss about. The skin there was darker, burnt due to the explosion. Fortunately, it hadn't damaged her eye, but the scar went from above her eyebrow down to the tip of her nose.

"I really can't do anything about that."

Maki was taken aback when the girl waved her off.

"I actually don't mind. Besides, it's not that noticeable, right?"

Her friend beamed and shook her head vigorously. "It isn't. Actually gives you a frightening look."

They fell into a comfortable silence, until Rei realized something and ran a hand through her messy hair in apprehension.

"We shouldn't be resting. We still need to find–" she stopped talking when Maki smirked knowingly and pulled out a white scroll.

"I guess I forgot to tell you. This was standing beside you," she revealed. "Almost looked like it was mocking you."

Her eye twitched, and she cursed under her breath.

"Another miracle, maybe?" Maki insisted, to which the Koizumi girl snorted in disbelief.

 _Yeah, definitely not_.

She turned around to motion Kazuo over, which he did –suddenly grin on place as usual. However, as she observed him, Rei noticed that something was off about the boy.

His smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

-#-

Ryu rolled his shoulders and winced in pain as they complained. Although he had been waiting to fight Rei for long, he found himself wanting more. That battle had been too short-lived, and even though he knew the reason why –the girl had yet a lot to learn–, he could not help but be disappointed.

 _Still, that last blast of wind was unexpected_ , he thought as he stared at his arms; small, purple wounds decorated the skin.

Stopping by a tree, he asked out-loud,

"Was it enough?"

A dark chuckle echoed behind him, and he turned around to face the plant-man.

"For now," it spoke. "You must return to the base, Deidara."

Ryu– _Deidara_ huffed in annoyance, yet rounded on his feet and created a giant bird out of his clay.

"Whatever, hn."

Then, he flew away.

 _I'll be seeing you soon, pretty eyes_.


	9. IX: Ready, set, move

The faint sound of rain was left behind as the two cloaked figures stepped into the base. At first glance, one would describe it as an abandoned building; what with its cracked walls and crumbling façade. Once inside, an almost impenetrable darkness would greet those who dared to intrude, and a suffocating silence would follow them throughout their path.

Fortunately, the building was never too crowded; if not vacant at all. The light taps of water drops leaking from the ceiling, as well as the barely-audible footsteps of the two men as they walked down the wet corridor, echoed through the passage; the feeling of being watched increased.

These men, however, were never bothered by any of that; they were already used to it. One was taller than the other, perhaps due to the fact that his partner seemed to be crouching over his own body as he slid across the ground. They both wore hats over their heads, so as to conceal their identities. Their cloaks were identical, too; black with red clouds, and long enough to cover their whole bodies.

 _Akatsuki_.

The organization of S-rank missing-nin, pursued by most hidden villages and yet, standing in all its glory above them –as its members truly believed. Surprisingly –or not so much–, they had built upon themselves an important prestige among small villages with not as many sinews as the main countries.

Strands of blond hair could be seen when the taller man huffed in annoyance.

"I don't get it," he muttered under his breath. "Why do we have to report about the mission, hn? I thought that creepy plant had already done that."

The shorter individual growled lowly, never in the mood to deal with his complaints.

"You don't need to understand." His voice was gruff, and even though his irritation was noticeable, it sounded almost emotionless. "Don't be such a brat."

Deidara clicked his tongue, but other than that, remained quiet; he knew better than to start arguing with that _man_. Out of all people in the organization, he had been paired with someone as entertaining as a puppet –oh, the irony. They were so incompatible, those two. His partner was not only tedious, but also unable to comprehend true art; Deidara truly despised his guts.

Nevertheless, Deidara couldn't really complain about being paired up with him. That organization was full of strange people –if they could be called people at all– and he wasn't very fond of any of them.

"Sempai!" a loud, cheerful voice called.

His eye twitched as he caught glimpse of the newest member of Akatsuki running towards him; his arms were ridiculously flapping above his head.

Fortunately for him –and his partner, who had increased his pace in order to avoid being caught by the yelling boy–, they had arrived to their destination. A huge door stood in the way, and they quickly made their way inside and closed it on Tobi's masked face.

A smirk formed on his lips as the sound of him crashing into the iron door reached his ears.

"Come forth."

The blond suddenly scowled and took his hat off, then followed Sasori towards the leader of Akatsuki. His purple eyes stared them down, unblinking; and Deidara would be lying if he said they didn't creep him out. The room was cold, and the unmistakable scent of rain flowed in it due to the huge hole in the wall behind the man; the whole village could be seen through it, the gray clouds and dull surroundings, as well.

"Deidara," he addressed; voice deep and inhuman. "I have already been informed of everything concerning your mission." Upon receiving a warning look –one which ordered him to remain silent–, the boy bit back a remark. "I will ask for your personal opinion on the girl."

 _Personal opinion?_

Deidara blinked, taken aback by the unexpected request.

"I do not have all day," Pain pressed; his pierced face emotionless.

"She's weak, as expected from someone who's been trained as a regular shinobi," he calmly said, then frowned as he thought. As someone with such short temperament, his high intellect had surprised many along his path. But he was actually a tricky strategist; one whose wicked mind was respected even in the organization, if only one knew how to put up with his childish personality.

The intimidating man glanced to his left for a brief moment, then drifted his intense gaze towards the younger member.

"You mean, her potential is being hindered because she's not training the proper way," he observed.

"Yeah."

Much to Deidara's annoyance, Pain dismissed them without another word.

Once the door closed and the loud voices of Deidara and Tobi faded into the distance, Pain gave out a soft sigh and sat down at his desk.

"On contrary of what Deidara thinks, that might not be unfavorable."

Another figure dressed in the same clothes stepped out of the shadows and locked eyes with him.

"Why is that?" the woman asked; her voice was melodious and quiet.

"She will come to realize no one around her can help her unfold her true power," he explained, then stood up and stepped out into the rain. Glancing back at her, he stated, "There's only one person who can."

Konan nodded.

"Her abilities –once polished– will make her a valuable asset."

-#-

Rei sneezed.

"Someone must be talking about you," Maki commented, then smirked as she sneezed again. "They do seem to have an obsession, if you ask me."

After sending her an unimpressed stare, the girl shook her head and pushed the doors open. They were finally there: in the tower, with two scrolls and –most importantly– alive. Over the past couple of days, the scar on her face had healed enough for the dried blood to disappear; however, it would be there until her very end, reminding her of her weaknesses and failures. It also gave her strength, though; she would never rest until she reached perfection.

A huge room waited for them at the other side, vacant and expectant. Sharing glances and nods, they placed the scrolls on the ground and opened them. Immediately, white smoke appeared out of them, and someone coughed as it dissipated. A man stood in front of them, bearing a boring look and giving away the expression he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Congratulations on passing the second stage of the Chunin Exams," he recited almost automatically. "Oh." He pulled out a piece of paper and read out-loud, "Unfortunately, I'm unable to congratulate you personally. This idio–" he stopped mid-sentence and glared down at the letters. "This _admirable_ Jõnin will take you to your respective homes and will bring you back to the tower for the next phase. If I have nothing else to do, I will attend as well. Until then, don't die."

An awkward silence followed then, and the man mumbled an insult under his breath as the three shinobi stared, expressionless, at him.

"I'm sure you have questions–"

"We really don't," interrupted Kazuo.

"Yeah, that's nothing new coming from Tora-sensei," piped Maki with a shrug.

Rei crossed her arms over her chest.

"She's incorrigible," she pointed out, earning herself gasps from her teammates. "And it annoys me beyond belief."

The Jõnin looked like he was trying to suppress a smile, but coughed to hide it.

"Let's go, then."

And so, Rei soon found herself standing in front of her home. Beside her, Maki let out a loud yawn and stretched her arms before walking towards the door.

"Nap time, finally!"

The shorter girl snorted in amusement as she disappeared inside, then frowned and glanced around the street. Her orange eyes fell upon Rock Lee's house, and sure enough, his room was lit up and his silhouette could be seen through the window as he punched the air constantly. Her lips twitched at the funny sight, and she shook her head in exasperation before turning towards the crowded street and walking away.

She expected as much from Lee's team; they sure were one of the strongest Genin in Konoha. As she was passing by Naruto's building, a frown crept up to her forehead as she noticed the closed windows and darkness inside.

 _Is he still in the forest?_

The fact worried her, yet she paid it no mind; her blond friend would take all the time in the world, but there was no way he was going to be defeated so easily.

She halted suddenly, her thoughts troubled as images of her fight with Ryu repeated in her mind.

 _She had been defeated so, so easily_.

Her jaw clenched, her eyes narrowed. She had trained, given her all; and still, her efforts had been pointless against him. What was worst, he hadn't even tried; it had been crystal clear in her eyes. She had been taken lightly, and she was disappointed.

So disappointed it angered her.

With renewed thoughts, Rei headed towards the training grounds.

Two days left until the second phase reached its end, another one for the third stage to begin. There was no much time, but she surely wasn't going to spend it resting –like Maki.

She would take a step ahead.

-#-

Silence surrounded the rounded room as the heads of the clan seated down, facing the newcomer. They surveyed her with inquisitive stares, some looked bored. And then, the leader stood up and voiced,

"Report."

And report did they, explaining meticulously and pausing when ordered. Finally, they fell silent.

"We are one step closer to our goal," an old woman announced, evidently pleased with the news.

Someone snorted disrespectfully.

"You are so blind, Lady Nazumi. This will get us nowhere at this rate."

"By the time she's ready, we will all be in our damn graves," another man added.

Nazumi frowned.

"Then what do you suggest, Lord Kirito?"

The man crossed his arms over his chest and said, "It's time for her to be brought back."

Many whispers flooded the room as the heads voiced their opinions on the matter, until Nazumi slammed her hands on the table.

"You do know we can't do that," she exclaimed, stunned. "If we drop the truth without much care, the mission might as well fail."

"It's too risky," the leader, Arata, cut in. He looked back at the newcomer. "Keep an eye on her, but do not interfere. She needs to find her path on her own."

"But–"

"You are not allowed to complain," he growled; his patience was growing thin. "This is your chance to mend your mistakes of the past. If you succeed, you will be accepted again in the clan. If you don't, do not bother coming back."

With gritted teeth and blazing eyes, the traitor left the room.


End file.
